This year, we’re putting up a tree a little different than our usual smattering of Christmas ornaments because this year we acquired a kitten (#catlady life) who is so rambunctuous and exciteable we don’t trust her around a tree. Adorable, yes, but an absolute little shit.
So, we’re getting a smaller tree (in case it comes down in the middle of the night) and decorating it with ornaments that are soft, made of wood, or are unbreakable. Since I don’t have too many unbreakable ornaments as a lot of mine are pretty old and delicate, I’ve decided that dried oranges will look adorably chic. Plus, they’re all over Pinterest and I can’t get enough of them.
Buy 4 – 8 oranges, depending on how many orange slices you want decorating your tree. I bought 4 as I just wanted a smattering of slices.
Slice them in 1/2 inch slices, much like you would for a snack. Save the end bits and make yourself some cleaning vinegar! A win-win kind of Christmas decor!
Pop them into your dehydrator for 10.5 hours. This is how long I left mine in there and got the perfect dried orange! You can also dry them in the oven as this person shows (plus some really neat ways to use them besides as ornaments!).
Take them out and leave them for the next day as you’ll probably be too tired to string up oranges since it took so damn long to dehydrate them in the first place. Don’t forget to put them in a cupboard where interested kittens won’t find them!
Poke holes through the orange and snake through a piece of twine. I poked mine through the edible part, but if you have some with bigger rinds or just smaller string, you can pop them through there.
Make a knot and turn it so it’s hidden in/behind the orange when you hang it up.
Hand up and enjoy!
Please note that oranges are toxic to cats and dogs, mainly the rinds. As we already have two other cats who are interested in batting around ornaments, none of ours are on the lower branches and the oranges are a little higher up than most of the other ornaments making it harder for any interested jerks to take a bite.
