Handmade Ornaments: Dried Oranges

 The ornaments on my tree.

The tree for the Christmas party. I added more garland after I took the picture but I didn't get a chance to take another one.

 Are you sensing a theme the last few posts? You are in luck. This is the last handmade ornament I made for the Christmas tree I was decorating for church. I decorated the tree for the Christmas party. I'm happy with how it turned out. The best part was taking the ornaments home and putting them up on my tree.

They look really pretty on the tree. The orange color adds a beautiful different pop of color and when the lights on the tree shine, it makes the oranges look like stained glass. 

How To:

• Slice your oranges 1/4inch thick.  
• Lay them in your dehydrator and set it to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do not have a dehydrator just stick them in your oven on a cookie sheet on the lowest setting. Just check on them every few hours.
• Let them dry for 12 hours or until they no longer have ANY Juice left. They have to be completely dried. They will be crispy. If they have any juices they will get soggy and buggy and icky. 
• Next, spray a clear lacquer coat on each side. It only takes about 10 minutes for the lacquer to dry so you can do two coats on each side to give it a nice finish.  
• Lace some twine and ribbon through your oranges and you have beautiful unique ornaments for your tree. 

All these ornaments are very cost effective AND they make great gifts. I've been using them to embellish gifts and packages. 

Which handmade ornaments are your favorite? Let me know if you make any or if you have any questions.