12 Dried Citrus Craft Ideas to Make This Season

Brown paper packages tied up with strings—and adorned with dried orange slices—these are a few of our favorite things. Dried citrus is a simple addition to your holiday decor. It's a delightful throwback to Old World holiday decorations that were made out of natural elements or homemade goods.

You can add the same sweet touch to your Christmas by hanging dried citrus garland on the mantel or decorating the tree with DIY dried orange ornaments. Here we share our favorite ideas for incorporating dried citrus into the holiday season.

How to Dry Orange Slices

Before crafting any dried citrus project, let's cover the basics on how to dry orange slices. Cut oranges into 1/2-inch thick slices. You may need to dry them in batches depending on how many oranges you need for your project.

Place the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a 175°F oven for four hours, flipping the oranges halfway through. It's important to cook the orange slices at a low temperature so they don't burn or brown.

If using a dehydrator, divide the citrus slices into batches of 15 slices or whatever your dehydrator capacity will accommodate. Place each batch in the dehydrator for 5 to 6 hours.

The oranges are done when they are crisp to the touch and don't release any moisture when squeezed. Make sure the oranges are completely dried before removing them from the oven as they can develop mold over time if there is any excess moisture.

Dried Citrus Wreath

All is merry and bright with a freshly-made dried orange wreath. For this project, you'll want a variety of sizes of citrus fruits, such as oranges, grapefruit, and lemons. Take the citrus slices out of the oven or dehydrator while they are still slightly moist and let them finish drying on a wire rack. To give the fruit a "sugared" look, sprinkle the slices with finely-ground glitter. Fruit will be slightly tacky after dehydrating or baking, so the glitter will stick without additional adhesive. Let the slices dry out completely.

Use straight pins to attach the fruit slices to the foam wreath form, overlapping the pieces to cover the entire foam wreath. Tie a length of thick ribbon into a bow and attach it to the finished wreath with straight pins.

Modern Farmhouse Dried Orange Wreath

Your family and friends will rave about this modern farmhouse wreath made with dried orange slices. Once the orange slices have cooled completely, gather 3-5 orange slices together and gently poke a piece of florists wire through the center of each slice. Gently twist the florists wire to secure each bundle.

Attach the dried orange bundles to a purchased wreath to assemble your own wreath from evergreen branches, eucalyptus, and dried lavender.

Related: 22 Gorgeous Farmhouse Christmas Crafts to Make This Holiday

Dried Citrus Gift Wrap

Personalize your gifts with dried orange embellishments. Poke a hole through the top of a dried orange slice and tie a ribbon through the hole. Wrap your gift as you normally would, tie a wide ribbon around the package, and attach the dried orange slice to the bow. Experiment with different sizes and colors of oranges to see what looks best. Blood oranges have more of a red tone that looks great on Christmas gifts.

Dried Orange Center Piece

Dress your holiday dinner table with fragrant natural elements. Create low-key elegance with a Christmas centerpiece made with a foundation of eucalyptus leaves. Place dried orange slices throughout the centerpiece for a pop of color. Use metal vases and canisters to hold sprigs of cut greenery and white chrysanthemums for a modern farmhouse vibe. Carry the fresh citrus theme home when you use mandarin oranges to hold place setting cards.

Dried Orange Slice Ornaments

Make it an old-fashioned Christmas with a fresh-cut tree decorated with pinecones, feathers, and dried orange slices. Once the orange slices are completely dry, string baker's twine through the top of each slice and hang them on the tree. For more color, you could also use ribbon to hang the orange slice ornaments. Boost the nostalgic feel with battery-operated candle lights.

Dried Citrus Garland

Layering the mantel with fresh greenery is one of our go-to Christmas decorating ideas. Update a basic swag with dried orange slices and wooden beads strung together on a jute cord. This simple but elegant dried citrus garland is easy to craft in an afternoon, making it a great last-minute addition to your holiday decorating.

Dried Orange Slices on Gifts

Connect with the spirit of giving with gift wrap that include a little something special. Hand-crafted touches will mean the world to person who receives it. Include a little handmade tag or small crafted item to the outside of gifts. Use kraft paper for an easy-to-recycle and goes-with-everything wrapping paper. Tie dried orange slices to packages with yarn or twine.

Dried Orange Slice Garland

It's a berry merry Christmas with garland made from dried citrus slices, fruit rinds, and wooden beads. Start by drying a variety of oranges. You could add dried whole cloves to some of the orange slices for interest. Use a small cookie cutter to cut stars out of the rinds of lemons or oranges and let them dry on a wire rack. To assemble the garland alternate dried citrus slices with wooden beads, the dried stars, or leaves onto jute or bakers twine.

Dried Citrus Embellishments

For the ultimate DIY holiday gift, make your own gift wrap by stamping shapes onto kraft paper or use paint markers to create your own unique design. Dress your handcrafted wrapping paper with dried citrus slices. String dried orange slices and cinnamon sticks together for a festively fragrant bundle. Layer a dried orange slice over a dried grapefruit slice and finish the package with a wreath of rosemary. Or simply attach a single dried orange slice to your gift box with ribbon or yarn.

Simply Elegant Dried Orange Wreath

Sweet and simple is the key to layering in lots of handcrafted holiday touches. This easy-to-assemble wreath is a great addition to the kitchen or the front door. To create this look, loop faux-eucalyptus branches into circles and tuck in berry sprays, dried orange slices, and pinecones. Finish with ribbon for a sweetly, simple Christmas wreath.

Dried Citrus Mobile

Capture the winter sun with a refreshing dried citrus mobile. Hang beads or dried cranberries with dried slices of grapefruit, oranges, lemons, and limes from sticks with fishing line. For an extra dose of holiday shimmer, add glitter to the fruit slices while they are still slightly damp and let them air dry. This "sugared" look will add to the holiday charm.

Door Décor with Dried Orange Slices

Forget a traditional wreath. Create modern farmhouse charm with a triangle that's been transformed into decor for the front door. Attach eucalyptus sprigs to two sides of the triangle. Layer three slices of dried oranges in one corner. Finish with poms, felt shapes, gems, or any embellishments that catch your eye. Hang with a ribbon.