Timeless Seasonal Decor: How To Make A Dried Orange Candle Holder

This post may include affiliate links in which we earn a commission, as we are supported by our users. All opinions expressed are always our own and any commissions earned are of no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

I love the timeless look of dried citrus. From fall through winter, dried oranges (and grapefruit, lemons and limes!) can be made into garlands, ornaments (like I used last year HERE), candles and many other holiday projects. Dried citrus is perfect for the holiday season, but also cozy and timeless enough to start before Thanksgiving and stretch through January. Seeing as the stores are beginning their holiday displays, I was inspired to think of another project with dried oranges that might carry over these next months. Enter: dried orange candle holders. A floral like votive, these candle holders are perfect for little tea light candles and would be wonderful for a tablescape, side table, mantle, coffee table or anywhere else you might want to to bring in some festive seasonal decor. Very easy and budget friendly, let’s dive into all the ways to make a dried orange candle holder! 

Dried Oranges: Store Bought Or Homemade 

The first question to address is whether you would like to use store bought / premade orange slices or if you would like to make them yourself! Both options certainly work for this project; it just largely depends on your time and budget involved. Making homemade orange slices can be more budget friendly and slightly easier to work with for crafting the votive, however it does take more time. I used store bought dried orange slices (similar to this mix HERE) which, while very convenient, did produce a bit more waste as some of the oranges had very little to no flexibility, making them slightly more prone to cracking. Either way, both options can be used to create a dried orange candle holder, so feel free to try them both or just stick to which you prefer! 

How To Make Homemade Dried Orange Slices

If you are interested in making your own homemade dried orange slices, there are a plethora of recipes to follow! I typically have found that low and slow in an oven is the best way to prevent “baking” your oranges and really allowing them to dehydrate properly. The same method for dried orange slices can also be applied to a variety of citrus including lemons, grapefruit, limes etc.

Simply cut your oranges into thin slices about ¼” and preheat your oven to 175 F. Lay the oranges onto a parchment lined baking tray, ensuring that none of them are overlapping. Place the baking tray into the oven for 4 to 6 hours, flipping the oranges every hour or two until they feel dry. If the slices begin to brown but don’t feel dry, reduce your oven temperature to ensure it is not too hot! Remove the pan from the oven and let the orange slices cool completely to room temperature before storing or using for projects. Your dried orange slices are ready! 

Making A Dried Orange Candle Holder 

Supplies 

• Dried orange slices
• Hot glue 
• Tealight candles 
• Scissors

Steps

1 – With only 4 supplies needed, these votives can come together very quickly! To begin, lay out your materials to see what all you are working with. 

2 – Start by covering your workspace with newspaper, parchment paper etc. as the crumbs can be a bit messy. Then, select an orange slice that is just slightly bigger than your tea light candle. This will be the base for your candle holder. 

3 – Next, get ready to glue on your first orange petal. To do so, cut an orange slice in half and apply hot glue around the base of your orange slice. Wrap the half cut orange slice around the base orange and hold until cooled. 

This is where homemade, or slightly more flexible dried orange slices work well as they are less likely to crack when bending around the base orange form. If your petal does crack, you can embrace the more pointed design or remove the orange slice and try another. 

4 – Proceed with this process of cutting and gluing for 3 or 4 petals until your first layer is finished. 

5 – Once the first layer is finished, go back to fill in any gaps with a second layer. When adding your second set of slices however, another tip is to cut out a little center “V” to allow the citrus to wrap more easily around the petals that are already attached. 

6 – Add as many as you like / can reasonably fit before inserting your tea light candle and sitting back to admire your work! Repeat with remaining citrus slices until you have reached your desired quantity of dried orange candle holders. 

Final Thoughts

These dried orange candle holders are so festive and perfect for easy and budget friendly timeless seasonal decor! Ready in a matter of minutes, the votives add such a cozy element to your home and I love how effortlessly they display the beauty of dried citrus as the candle light dances through the translucent citrus centers. Have you ever tried making candle holders from dried citrus? Or would you?! Let me know your thoughts on this project and any tips you have as you create your own in the comment section below! 

Happy creating!

Chloe

– Pin for later –