We recently returned from a trip to Italy, specifically Sorrento and Rome. It was fabulous and of course I draw inspiration from our travels! Noticeably, the citrus trees lining the streets. And Christmas decorations! Our hotel had their tree and outdoor wreaths dripping with dried orange slices. I loved the organic and fresh look of this so I decided to recreate the look for my outdoor wreath. It’s January now, and all of my holiday decor is down, but citrus works in the winter. I love how it turned out, although drying oranges is time consuming! Here’s how to make dried oranges for a wreath.
The Inspiration
We stayed at The Hoxton Rome over Christmas. It was decorated with trees and wreaths that felt very natural. I was drawn to the dried oranges. Here are a few inspiration photos I took while I was there. Of course, I love the bows and ribbons too!
How to Make Dried Oranges in the Oven
Making dried oranges is not difficult, but it is time consuming! Make sure you are doing this on a day you will be home and can tend to the oven every 30 minutes. I used naval oranges, but I assume you can use any kind. For my smaller wreath, I used three oranges.
- Slice oranges extremely thin while keeping their shape in tact. I used a sharp, serrated knife. Lay out on paper towels.
- Carefully pat dry the oranges to remove moisture. The more moisture you can remove before baking, the faster it will go.
- Add orange slices to a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.
- Bake at 200 degrees for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn the orange slices. Repeat this process of turning every 30 minutes until the slices are “dried”. Make sure they are not wet to the touch. You want them dried but not crispy/burnt. Mine took about 3-4 hours!
- When done, set out to so they remain drying at room temperature. Use as you wish!
How to String Dried Orange Slices
Wanting to add stacked orange slices to my winter wreath, I grabbed some floral wire to string the oranges on. I just cut a piece of wire and wound it up on one end so the slices wouldn’t fall through. Then, stack as many oranges as you like. Next, add to your wreath, tree, or garland by wrapping the wire around to secure it. It’s super simple! Here are some winter wreaths for inspo.
Final Dried Orange Wreath
For winter, I’m using a wreath with greenery and pinecones that I already had one hand. Adding these dried oranges adds a bit of color, nature, whimsy, and texture to the front door. Now I’m just hoping the birds don’t come knocking!
I hope you found this tutorial on how to make dried oranges for a wreath helpful! I’m always itching to use my hands and do something creative in the new year. You can always use these for garlands, mantels, put on a tree, add to a bowl, etc. I love citrus in the winter, but this also works for summer months. You can use the same technique with lemons, which would be so cute. The possibilities are endless! XO
