On your next trip to the farmer’s market or grocery store, pick up some oranges for beautiful, holiday decorating! Not only are they relatively affordable, but they will also make your home smell great. Oranges have long shared a close association with Christmas time – they were once a common stocking stuffer! Let’s make the most of this seasonal fruit during the holiday season.

So before you go out and purchase another holiday decoration, consider making your own. A few oranges are sure to make your home merry and bright for the holiday season.

Pomanders: An Old-Time Christmas Decoration

Once a holiday gift and now pretty decor, pomanders are simply oranges pierced with cloves. As it dries, it will smell wonderful. They are simple to make, just take a firm orange and pierce it all over with cloves, in any pattern you like. You can use a toothpick to make pre-made holes – helpful when working with smaller children. They can be displayed as a centerpiece or even hung from a mantel or tree.

Make Your Own Dried Fruit Garland 

For another unique and beautiful holiday decoration, make your own dried fruit garland. These are particularly beautiful when hung in a sunny spot. The sunlight coming through the slices almost looks like stained glass!

1. Choose a variety of navel and or blood oranges.

2: Preheat your oven to 150 degrees

3. Slice fruit into 1/4-inch slices.

3. Place sliced fruit on a cookie rack on top of a cookie sheet or directly on to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

4. Bake for five to six hours or until dry. For flat slices be sure to turn them over halfway through baking.

5: When the fruit is visibly dried, remove from the oven.

6: Use an upholstery needle to thread the dried fruit onto thin twine. You can also include cinnamon sticks to your garland for even more familiar holiday smells.

Orange peel star ornaments

DIY orange peel ornaments are very easy to make. All you need is the peel of an orange and a cookie cutter. For more detailed instructions check out this post from our friend Greenify-Me. And if you have any leftover peels, consider making candied citrus peel.

Given the dark, cold days of winter, these citrus decorations are adding a much-needed brightness to our holiday season. We hope they bring you joy too!

For additional plastic-free holiday ideas, go here.