I spent almost half a Saturday drying oranges in my oven. No, really! The house smelled so good. If you’ve seen dried citrus in holiday garland, wreaths, potpourri, or hanging on a Christmas tree (which you probably have, the images are everywhere) and wanted to try it, it’s very easy. All you need is oranges (or any citrus) time and your oven.

Start with 4 navel oranges, sliced about .25″ thick (or thinner), and preheat oven to 170-200 degrees.

Arrange orange slices in a single layer onto parchment paper (or heat-safe rack) on a cookie sheet.

Blot excess juice from the oranges with a paper towel.

Place cookie sheet into the oven and flip oranges over every half hour for 5-6 hours.

When you remove the oranges from the oven let them dry a little longer (they will continue to dry over time) before using.

I added my dried orange slices to last year’s 46″ JOY wreath (via target, Wondershop – you can find a smaller version here) along with some cinnamon sticks, but you could use walnuts or another natural accent.