Dried Clementine Christmas Wreath
As the heart of the home, I spend more time in our kitchen than any other room in the house. Therefore, I feel I shouldn't neglect our beautiful kitchen when decorating for Christmas. My mother used to incorporate food into the kitchen Christmas decorations. Some of my fondest Christmas crafting memories as a child were when we would make popcorn garland and fruit ornaments for the kitchen tree, wreaths out of peppermints and gingerbread cookie garlands. I'm trying to carry on the food theme with my own kitchen Christmas decorations. So today I will show you how to make a simply cute clementine Christmas wreath for your Christmas home.
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To make your own version of a dried clementine Christmas wreath you will need:
For the baking process, I followed the very helpful instructions from the "Dried Orange Garland" post through Homesong.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to its lowest setting. I set mine to 170 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2: Cut the clementines about 1/4" thick, width-wise, so the pretty star shows through in the middle. Try to keep the thickness consistent so the clementines dehydrate at the same rate.
Cut as many as you think you will need. Keep in mind the clementines shrink as all of the natural juices escape during the baking process. I would also suggest cutting more than you think you need so you have extra to play with as some don't turnout.
Step 3: Lay the cut clementines on top of two layers of paper towels. Then add paper towels to the top of the cut clementines and press to squeeze out the extra moisture.
Step 4: Transfer the cut clementines to a non-stick baking pan. Lay them flat in one layer.
Step 5: Bake the clementines at 170 degrees Fahrenheit for 4 hours. Then flip the clementines over and bake for another 2 hours. Continue baking until your clementines become firm and crispy. I only had to bake mine for 6 hours. Be sure to keep an eye on them so they don't burn. It may be hard to forget them as the wonderful smell they emit from the oven is sure to catch your nose.
Step 6: Once your clementines reach the crispy consistency, remove them from the oven and place on a drying rack. Let them dry overnight before you use them on the wreath.
Step 7: Hot glue the burlap ribbon (with room to spare for hanging) to the inside of the embroidery hoop.
Step 8: Cut the ribbon into 4 inch pieces. Don't worry about fraying as the burlap lends itself to a rustic and unique flair (including imperfections).
Step 9: Hot glue the middle of the cut ribbons to the embroidery hoop. Add movement to the wreath by twisting the ribbon and placing it a little sideways on the hoop. Continue to glue the cut ribbons around the hoop, leaving about 2-4 inches in between for the clementines to sit.
Step 10: Once all of your cut ribbons have been hot glued to the embroidery hoop, attach the dried clementines to the hoop with hot glue. It helps to add the hot glue to the rind of the clementine as it is the sturdiest part. Continue filling in the spaces between the ribbons with dried clementines.
Step 11: Enjoy your kitchen Christmas wreath inspired by nature.
Notes about this DIY: Do not consume the clementines once they have been hot glued to the wreath. The clementines may continue to shrink overtime so this project is only good for one holiday season.
How do you incorporate nature into your holiday decorations?
