Orange and Cinnamon Stick Ornaments

A few months ago, we adopted an affectionate, playful and VERY curious kitten. So this year for Christmas we decided to do something different for our tree and prevent any valuable ornaments from breaking as we continue to train her. We decorated our tree with bows and created dried oranges with cinnamon sticks. I'm hoping it will fill the tree with a lovely winter scent!

It took a lot of trial and error trying to dry the oranges completely. A lot of sources said very different things so I ended up playing it by ear.

My Tips: + Don't cut thick slices.

+ Squeeze the the juice out before placing in the oven.

+ Place the slices on a rack over a pan to help the air flow. Some sources don't, but it is very helpful.

+ Set oven to 200 degrees and leave for 4-6 hours.

+ Each hour take them out to flip them over.

Dried orange:

I hot glued cinnamon sticks and left over pine branches from my wedding last winter as a final touch.

And voilà! An unbreakable tree (I hope):