This post was originally published in 2017. I have updated the post with new ideas and photos.
Decorating with fruits and vegetables is an old-fashioned craft I love. Many of us display fresh fruit in season in bowls and centerpieces. It’s December and citrus season is here. Today I’m sharing my love of oranges – not only as a favorite snack, but as a decorating element. It’s great to use for Christmas and even into January for winter decorating.

Add it to bowls of nuts, spices, or just greenery on the table like the photo below. Notice fresh and dried slices of oranges.

If you haven’t tried drying fruit slices, you really must give it a try. You can use your oven, a cookie sheet, and jute or string to make cheerful holiday decorations.
I. Drying Orange Slices
These instructions would work for other citrus fruits such as lemons, grapefruits, tangerines, and limes.
- Cut oranges crosswise into 3/4-inch slices making them as uniform as possible in thickness
- Create a tiny hole in the top of each slice with a small paring knife
- Lay on a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Place in the oven set at the lowest temperature (around 150 degrees F)
- Bake for about four hours
- Turn with a spatula, checking them every hour until they seem almost dry with a bit of moisture left so they still have an orange color
- They will continue to dry at room temperature
- Optional, add spices such as cloves before baking
- Optional tie to cinnamon sticks when dried and cooled


II. Decorating With Orange Slices
A. Christmas Tree
String twine or ribbon through each piece of orange to hang on your tree or use an ornament hook. Try blood oranges for a deeper color or pink grapefruit for a softer color.

II. Garland
To make a natural small garland, put a sturdy string or cord through the holes in each dried orange slice followed by something like popcorn or cranberries in between slices. If you plan to use it on your Christmas tree, make smaller garlands to go around the tree. Due to the weight, a really long one might break.

Another natural garland can be made by using twine to hang orange slices, dried grapefruit, pine cones, and other natural objects from a ribbon.

Slices can also be added to green garlands using ornament hooks, wire, or twine.

III. Centerpiece
- Start with a twig or grapevine wreath
- Lay a flat plate in the center over the hole
- Place 4 cylinder candles in the center
- Arrange pine cones, dried fruit, cinnamon sticks, and dried flowers around the candles
- Make sure pine cones are lower than candles
IV. Decorate Presents
Use long string to go through orange slice and then wrap around present box. Let the orange slice hang in the middle of the front of the box. Add greenery.

V. Candle Holder Decoration
- Wrap glass candle holder or jar with burlap ribbon
- Wrap jute string around jar over ribbon three times
- Tie orange slice to cinnamon sticks and a piece of greenery
- Tie decorations to jar with jute string on front of jar
- It can be used separately or as part of a centerpiece
VI. Wreath
As with garlands, dried fruit slices can be added to wreaths with wire or ornament holders. You can use a grapevine wreath, wood or metal wreath, or fresh pine wreath. Use wire to add dried fruit, pine cones, or whatever elements you desire.
VII. Decorating With Bowls of Dried Elements
Just as you decorate with bowls or trays of fresh fruit, winter is the perfect time to add pine cones, dried fruit, nuts, and spices to a fresh fruit display.

VIII. Dried Orange Slices to Decorate Food or Drink
Dried orange slices are a beautiful addition to holiday cakes. They also can be used to decorate holiday drinks or cocktails. Let the dried fruit cool and reach room temperature. Layer with fresh herbs or flowers on the cake top or side.
In conclusion, dried fruit slices add lots of charm to holiday decorations. Oranges, apples, lemons, and grapefruit are perfect to dry and use.
Thanks for coming by. I hope I’ve inspired you.

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I do like a citrus decoration and your home must smell amazing after that little lot!
The lovely aroma started while in the oven.
Just reading this can smell Citroën it is just fresh and gorgeous X (mmbc
I love oranges for decoration. They are so luxurious to me plus they smell good. Your ideas take orange decorating to a new level.
Aah, thanks!
I love decorating with fresh and dried fruit. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks for visiting
…wonderful natural decorations!
I love using dried oranges! and they smell so amazing! you have some ideas I haven’t tried yet, pinning for later <3
What a fun idea!! I would love to make some of these to hang outside for the birds, too. 🙂
You’re always inspiring Carol. I love the different ideas you shared and there’s just something about oranges that makes me feel good inside. I don’t know if it’s the color or that delicious citrus smell but they’ always make me feel content so how
I totally agree. Citrus has a wonderful aroma and makes my mouth feel clean. Oranges, tangerines etc are yummy and lemons and limes spark up the flavor of other food.
I got as far as drying the oranges, but they have been in a bowl ever since. We leave on vacation in less than 24 hours so maybe I should hang them before we leave. They do make the house smell nice.
Yes they smell nice. I’d hang them outside for the birds while you’re gone. That would be a Christmas gift to them.
I Love dried oranges as decorations! Thanks for sharing with Party in Your PJs!
I still have time to try these before Christmas! Thanks for the tutorial and all the ideas for using them.
Merry Christmas!
I can smell oranges from the pictures.
I love the smell of oranges!
Love that candle!! Thanks so much for linking up at #AThemedLinkup 6 for All Things Christmas. Shared.
Congrats! Your post is FEATURED at #AThemedLinkup 7 for Christmas Trees and Ornaments from my previous linkup for All Things Christmas!
Thanks so much for the feature Dee. Hope you’re having a great weekend!
Oh, this looks so pretty, especially hanging from the tree. I am sure your home smelt wonderful as you baked the oranges!
I love every single one of these ideas and I plan to put at least a couple of them into use this year! I was wondering about looking up oranges so perfect timing. Love your garland!
Love your ideas Carol. I dried oranges last year. It was a fun project. Next time I will add the cloves. As always, thanks for sharing at #aclwcc. Pinned.
I’m wishing you a blessed Christmas!
So many great ideas! I love esp. the one as candle decoration.
angiesrecipes
http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com
These ideas are fabulous! I bet they smell amazing too.
My air fryer has a dehydrating setting and I have been thinking about trying it with oranges.
They make such a pretty decoration.
Beautiful! I hope to get some made, I imagine the fragrance is so nice! Visiting from #MMBC
I love the look of the dried oranges on the Christmas tree and that cake looks amazing!
#MMBC
I love this idea Carol. It all looks wonderful! It would make the house smell heavenly.
Carol, this post will be one of my features for the last SSPS of 2024. Thank you for sharing with us each week! Melynda @scratchmadefood!
Thank you for the feature of this post. Merry Christmas!
I love the smell of oranges and using them in decor. What wonderful decor ideas. Congratulations, you are being featured on TFT. I hope you stop by. https://eclecticredbarn.blogspot.com/2024/12/last-minute-decor-ideas-on-tft.html
Have a Merry Christmas,
Bev
Thank you for the feature Bev. I really appreciate your support. Have a Merry Christmas!
Oh, my goodness, these are beautiful. I have a food dryer and have dried oranges before when they’ve gotten old. I save them and use them in potpourri. But these are such beautiful ways to use them! Pinning to save and share! Thank you for sharing this post with us all at the Will Blog for Comments #52 this month. We’ll be back at the bi-weekly schedule for linkup #53 which opens Monday morning January 6, and we hope to see more of your posts shared there. Happy New Year!
Stopping by again with congratulations! This post is the Host’s Choice at Will Blog for Comments #52. It will be in the Spotlight for the next 2 weeks (starting today), and you’re welcome to celebrate with your readers here using the “This Blog Post was a Featured Favorite” image from the linkup, if you like. Thank you for sharing your great posts with us! We hope to see you back at WBFC #53–it opens Monday morning. 🙂
Thank you so much for the feature of my post. This is a wonderful start to 2025. I’m wishing you happiness and health in the new year.