I was hoping to decorate my house this year quite simply – with a twig and some gin bobbles. I thought this was perfectly acceptable but it seems that everyone else in my life disagrees. I’ve not quite got round to buying a tree but I have at least made some decorations for our teepee. That surely counts?!

Today I thought I’d share how to make a Christmas garland using the contents of your fruit bowl:

Dried Orange Christmas garland

You will need:

2-3 large oranges

1-2 lemons (for more variety)

Twigs

Garden Twine

Sharp Knife

Oven

Grill pan

A large darning needle

Kitchen roll

Method

1. Preheat oven to 100°C.
2. Slice the oranges and lemons into slices of 0.5 cm – it’s a good idea to go form the stem end so you get a nice pattern of segments on your slices.
3. Place the slices on the kitchen roll and try to blot out as much juice as possible.
4. Place the slices onto a wire rack tray and put in the oven for around 3-4 hours. The rack will help the sides to dry evenly but you can turn them from time to time. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on the slices around the 3 hour mark as smaller slices can catch on the edges around this time.
5. After the slices have been thoroughly dried (some still might be a little sticky), thread them onto your twine using the darning needle.
6. Tied a twig on each end if you like or you could put these throughout for a more rustic look. Another option is to use cinnamon sticks or eve tie on little ribbons. I prefer to just use oranges and lemons!

This really does take no time at all – you can get on with other things whilst they’re drying – and make the house smell amazing! I can easily imagine making some more with some mulled wine and mince pies on the go. But that’s another post altogether. Do you make any of your own decorations? I’d love to hear some more ideas.