Dried Orange Christmas Decorations: 8 Natural Festive Ideas
Eight ways to decorate for Christmas with dried orange slices, from citrus wreaths and tree ornaments to gift tags, table settings and scented bowls.
Dried orange Christmas decorations are made from dehydrated citrus wheels used as wreath detail, tree ornaments, gift tags, table settings or scented bowls. You need fully dried slices, ribbon or twine, and a dry spot to display them. Allow roughly 25 to 40 slices to decorate one room.
Start with properly dried slices. Every idea below depends on citrus that is dry all the way through. A slice should bend without snapping and feel leathery on both sides. Soft centres will spot with mould within a fortnight, which is the single most common reason home-made citrus decorations fail. Our guide to dehydrating oranges covers oven, air fryer and dehydrator timings if you are drying your own.
1. A citrus and eucalyptus wreath. Bind small bunches of eucalyptus and pine onto a wire or willow ring with florist's wire, all facing the same direction so the wreath looks like it is turning. Then wire orange slices in loose clusters of two or three, tucking cinnamon sticks behind them. Keep the citrus off the very outer edge so it does not knock against the door frame.
2. Tree ornaments on ribbon loops. Make a small hole near the rind with a bradawl or skewer, thread a 20cm length of narrow ribbon through and tie a loop. Hang them towards the outside of the branches where light can pass through the slice, which is when dried citrus looks its best. Two slices back to back, glued together, give a sturdier ornament that will not curl.
3. Table settings and napkin rings. Slip a single slice under a loop of twine around each napkin, or rest one on top of a folded linen napkin with a bay leaf. It reads as festive without the plastic and it costs almost nothing per cover, which is why so many venues use citrus rather than crackers on long tables.
4. Place names and gift tags. Write the guest's name on a kraft tag, then glue a slice beside it, or punch a hole straight through a slice and write on the pith with a fine gold pen. The same tag works on presents, tied under the ribbon knot with a sprig of rosemary.
5. Scented bowls and simmer pots. Fill a shallow bowl with orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves and star anise for a natural room scent that lasts weeks. For a stronger version, simmer a handful in a pan of water with a split vanilla pod for twenty minutes. It fills a house far more convincingly than a synthetic diffuser.
6. Candle and jar displays. Line the inside of a large glass jar or hurricane vase with overlapping slices, then set a pillar candle or a string of battery lights in the middle. The light comes through the citrus like stained glass. Never use a naked flame directly against dried fruit, keep it central and well clear.
7. Advent and stocking details. Number slices lightly on the pith and peg them along a length of twine as a simple advent countdown, or thread one onto the tie of each stocking. They also make handsome tree-skirt confetti scattered around the base with pine cones.
8. Garlands for mantels and bannisters. A strung garland is the classic, and it deserves its own method. Our step-by-step dried orange garland guide covers spacing, needle technique and where to hang it so it lasts.
Making them last. Keep dried citrus away from steam and direct heat, so avoid the kitchen hob, radiators and bathroom. At the end of the season, pack decorations in a paper bag or cardboard box with a little space around them, never sealed plastic, and store somewhere dry. Most sets come back out looking good for a second and third year, with the colour softening slightly each time.
Buying in bulk for venues and events. If you are decorating a pub, restaurant, shop, wedding or a full florist's Christmas range, drying enough citrus yourself is a serious job. We dehydrate ours in England and supply trade customers in bulk from a 1kg minimum, with mixed citrus available and discounts as the order weight increases. Open a trade account and tell us what you are decorating and we will quote you.
The pairings
- 25 to 40 fully dehydrated orange slices (mixed citrus works beautifully too)
- Cotton twine, jute string or narrow cream ribbon
- A large tapestry needle and small sharp scissors
- Eucalyptus, pine, bay or dried hydrangea for greenery
- Cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves and dried apple slices
- A florist's wire wreath ring or a bare willow ring
- Brown kraft tags, glue dots and a bradawl or skewer for making holes
Pairs with