For a different twist this holiday season, consider making a dried fruit wreath. Using a fruit wreath for Christmas not only looks elegant but these simple craft projects also impart a citrusy-fresh aroma to the room. While a DIY fruit wreath is easy to assemble, it's essential to thoroughly dehydrate the fruit first. Preserved correctly, a wreath with dried fruit will last for years.
How to Make Dried Fruit Slices in a Wreath
Citrus fruit can be dried using a dehydrator or in an oven set at a low temperature. You can choose a variety of citrus when making a dried fruit wreath including grapefruit, oranges, lemons, and limes. The peels are left on for this DIY fruit wreath project.
If you wish to use dried fruit slices in a wreath, cut larger types of citrus into ¼ inch (.6 cm.) slices. Smaller fruit can be sliced to a thickness of 1/8 inch (.3 cm.). Small citrus fruit can also be dried whole by making eight evenly spaced vertical slits in the peel. If you plan to string the dried fruit, use a skewer to make a hole in the center of the slices or down through the core of the whole fruit before drying.
The amount of time needed to dehydrate citrus fruit depends upon the thickness of the slices and the method used. Dehydrators can take between five to six hours for sliced fruit and twice that for whole citrus. It will take at least three to four hours for slices to dry in an oven set at 150 degrees F. (66 C.).
For a brightly colored wreath with dried fruit, remove the citrus before the edges turn brown. If the fruit isn't completely dry, set it in a sunny or warm location that has adequate air circulation.
If you'd like your wreath with dried fruit to look sugar coated, sprinkle clear glitter on the slices once you remove them from the oven or dehydrator. The fruit will still be moist at this point, so glue is not necessary. Be sure to keep glitter coated fruit out of reach of small children who may be tempted to ingest these tasty looking decorations.
Assembling a DIY Fruit Wreath
There are several ways to use dried fruit slices in a wreath. Try one of these inspiring ideas for making a dried fruit wreath:
- Sliced fruit wreath for Christmas – This wreath made entirely from glitter coated dried fruit slices looks enticing enough to eat! Simply attach dried fruit slices to a foam wreath shape using straight pins. To cover an 18-inch (46 cm.) wreath form, you'll need approximately 14 grapefruits or large oranges and eight lemons or limes.
- String a wreath with dried fruit – For this wreath, you'll need about 60 to 70 slices of dried fruit and five to seven whole dried lemons or limes. Begin by stringing dried fruit slices on a wire coat hanger which has been formed into a circle. Space the whole fruit evenly around the circle. Use electrical tape or pliers to close the coat hanger.