How to Make a Farmhouse Dried Orange Wreath

This season, take a vacation from traditional red and green and display a fragrant dried orange slice wreath. We'll show you how to dry fresh orange slices and arrange them to create a handmade holiday decoration. All you'll need to assemble this inexpensive Christmas craft is a wire wreath frame, assorted greenery, and oranges. Finish the farmhouse wreath with a gray buffalo check ribbon. Some tips for wreath-making success: work on a flat surface and lay your design out before you start attaching elements. For this DIY Christmas wreath, design the layout around the main focal element, the orange slices. You want the placement to look balanced and natural. Before you finish, pick up the wreath and hang it on the wall so you can study it from several perspectives.

How to Make a Dried Orange Wreath

Supplies Needed

• 10 fresh oranges (any variety will work)
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Florists wire
• Evergreen branches
• Pruning shears or scissors
• Assorted fresh or dried greenery such as seeded eucalyptus, lavender, and brunia berries
• Wire wreath form
• Ribbon

Step-by-Step Directions

With a few supplies and these how-to instructions, you can create your own farmhouse wreath. Thread any extra dried orange slices on baker's twine to create a festive holiday garland.

Step 1: Dry Oranges

Cut 10 oranges into 1/2-inch thick slices. Place the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper ($4, Target). Bake in a 175°F oven for 4 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. 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.

Editor's Tip: We used navel oranges to create our farmhouse Christmas wreath. Try experimenting with blood oranges, which have a red hue, or create smaller dried orange slices with clementines or mandarins.

Step 2: Assemble Orange Bundles

Let dried oranges cool completely. Gather 3-5 orange slices together and gently poke a piece of florists wire ($5, The Home Depot) through the center of each slice. Gently twist the florists wire to secure each bundle and set aside. You'll need 12-15 bundles to fill a 16-inch wreath form.

Step 3: Prepare Greenery

Cut evergreen branches into smaller sections using pruning shears ($14, The Home Depot) or scissors. Trim seeded eucalyptus to remove tough stems. Create bunches of dried lavender and brunia berries. Use florists wire to bundle together. You will need 6-8 bundles for a 16-inch wreath.

Step 4: Assemble Wreath

Use florists wire to secure cut evergreen to a 16-inch wire wreath form. Overlap the evergreen so it completely covers the wreath form. Next, use florists wire to attach seeded eucalyptus over the evergreen. Once you've achieved your desired fullness, attach the dried lavender and burnia berry bunches around the entire wreath. Finally, attach the dried orange slices. Space them so they evenly fill out the wreath. Cut a piece of gray buffalo check ribbon ($3, Etsy) that is long enough, when doubled, to hang the finished wreath at your desired height. Loop the ribbon through the top of the wreath and tie a knot to hang.

Editor's Tip: To hang your wreath from the top of the door frame, loop ribbon around the wreath form but don't tie the ends. Instead, fold them over about an inch and secure them to the top of the door with a thumbtack or small nail.