Kelly Olson Creative

If you’ve been exploring Instagram or Pinterest lately, you may have seen these handmade orange garland strands popping up.  This garland is perfect because it adds a sense of holiday flare without the bright red and greens from big box stores.  

The tradition of stringing garland during the holidays is actually an old practice to celebrate the winter solstice. Originally, people would string live greenery to symbolize growth.  We’ve come a long way since then- twinkly lights and full trees.  But, I think it is fun to bring things back to basics with simple decorations.  This DIY project is easy and leaves your kitchen smelling unreal.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• baking sheets & cooling racks
• parchment paper
• oranges (I used 3 for about 3 ½  feet of garland)
• twine or string
• sharp knife & scissors

Start by preheating the oven to about 275 degrees.  This worked fine for me, but you may need to adjust your oven’s settings.  I then sliced the oranges.  Each slice was roughly a quarter of an inch. (Tip: save the ends or bad cuts to use in a simmer pot mixed with cinnamon!)  Let the orange slices sit for a bit to dry out naturally, then lightly dab with a paper towel to pick up remaining moisture.

Cover your baking sheets with parchment paper and set up your slices.  Bake for about two and a half to three hours. Check on the slices because halfway through you may need to flip to prevent the ends from curling.  Take out once the slices are dry, but don’t let them burn. Cool for a few hours on the racks.

I then fashioned two little holes near the top of each slice and began to thread the string through.  Once the ends are tied off, you can hang in your home! (In front of a window is particularly beautiful with the light hitting the oranges)