Make Your Own Festive Orange Garland

Christmas is only a month away and if I'm honest it has been at the back of my mind. I have only just started my Christmas shopping but I am really reducing how much I spend and give at this time of year as I do believe we can be overwhelmed with over consumption. It can be hard to have a sustainable Christmas when the holiday is usually linked to a lot of waste. Every year there are a few small traditions I like to take part in, like making my own mince pies for friends and family, the other is to make my own decorations. This year I have made a dried orange garland which is proudly sat over my work desk to bring a little festive cheer whilst i continue to work from home. 

I love homemade Christmas decorations, they are fun to make and each one is always unique. Oranges have always reminded me of Christmas since I was young, it was always something we had in the house around this time so the smell always brings back great memories of this time with family. 

Making your own decorations is also a great way to reduce waste as you can often use things around you like fresh holly or twine. This is one of the reasons why i started making my own decorations as well as my own mince pies. The dried oranges can keep for ages as long as they are kept dry. Check out my really simple method for making a Festive Orange Garland. 

What Do you Need?

1 - 2 Oranges

Jute Twine or something to hang the oranges from

Fresh holly or another type of foliage like rosemary

I also added sour dough decorations I made a few weeks before, I have popped the method at the end of this article. 

Method

Pre heat over to 50 degrees C

Cut your Jute to the size Garland you want

Slice your oranges into thin slices and lay flat on a baking tray or grill

Using a tea towel gently blot the slices to remove some of the moisture

Pop in the oven for around 3 hours, turning every 30 minutes or so.

Once cool and dried out, they are ready to use.

Using a knife or a cocktail stick, push a hole through an orange, feed through the jute and tie a knot, continue with the other decorations you have until the garland is finished. 

Orange leftovers?

If you have left over slices, I popped mine in some water.

Want to Make Sour Dough Decorations for Your Garland?

Mix together 2 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)

Roll out and cut our your shapes

Pop in the oven at around 50-75 degrees for 2 hours, turning every 30 minutes or so. 

I Would love to see your homemade garland creations so tag @the_plastic_free_life on any of your Instagram posts. 

Stay Safe

Lucy x