Photo by Amy Johnson

Let’s Begin

Photo by Amy Johnson

1. Cut your citrus into thin slices, leaving the peels intact to hold each slice together. Then gently pat the slices dry between two towels.


Photo by Amy Johnson

2. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Place your slices on a cookie rack and put the rack on a baking sheet. This will help more air circulate around the slices, assisting with the drying.


Photo by Amy Johnson

3. Bake citrus slices for about 12 hours, flipping them over halfway through. If you need the garland finished sooner, you can shorten the drying time to no less than 6 hours — the slices will dry more as they’re hanging.


Photo by Amy Johnson

4. Once you have all of your finished and cooled slices, gather your paper cord and needle. Cut a long piece of cord, and use your needle to poke through the flesh of each citrus slice just under the peel. Pull the string through, and tie the cord at the top of each slice so that they’ll lay flat. (If you’d like to turn any of the slices into ornaments, use a shorter piece of string and tie it at the top of the slice and again at the tips of the string to make a loop.)


Photo by Amy Johnson

5. Hang the garland wherever you’ll enjoy it the most! If you drape it in front of a window, the light will make the citrus slices glow, bringing some extra warmth to the room.


Photo by Amy Johnson

Amy Johnson is the mind behind the DIY blog Maker Mama. When she’s not working on her own website, Amy works as a social media consultant for small businesses and entrepreneurs.