Turn orange peels into charming Christmas decorations—cookie-cutter trees and cute little mushrooms
Dry orange peels in the oven and string them into a garland. Give the mushroom caps pale spots with a fun flip trick.
Orange-peel garland—materials:
- a tree-shaped cookie cutter
- a reusable straw (metal or hard plastic)
- a straw-cleaning brush
- scissors
- jute twine and a matching darning needle
- parchment paper
- large oranges
Tip! Instead of a garland, make single ornaments for the Christmas tree or to top gifts.
Orange-peel garland—how to:
1. Peel the oranges so you get large vertical strips of peel. Press tree shapes out of the peels with a cookie cutter. Smooth them as flat as you can on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
2. With scissors, cut pieces of peel for the caps and stems. Punch holes in the cap piece with the straw; use the straw-cleaning brush to push the cut plug out of the straw. Then set the plugs back into the holes, peel side down, to make spots. Overlap the stem under the cap and press the parts together firmly on a hard surface with your thumb so they adhere. Place the mushrooms on the baking sheet.
3. Dry the peels in the oven at about 50–75 °C (122–167 °F) with convection or with the door slightly open. Allow at least an hour; drying time varies depending on your oven and the thickness of the peels. Test dryness by tapping—the peel is dry when it gives a crisp, clicking sound.
4. Thread the jute twine onto a darning needle and bring the needle through the front of the ornament; then, a short distance away, pass it back through from the back to the front again. Stitch the pieces together into a chain with broad, spaced stitches. If the needle won’t pierce the dry peel, you can drill or push a small starter hole with a sharp nail.
