Dried Fruit Wreaths

Wreaths are a wonderful way to welcome your guests no matter what the season or the reason. There are so many different looks that can be created simply using items straight from the garden or the kitchen. Believe it or not, the contents of a simple bowl of fruit can easily decorate your window or door. This wreath is made of dried fruit slices. It's beautiful on a door, but it's extraordinary hanging in a window because the light shines through the fruit, creating a stained-glass effect.

Materials

fruit--oranges, limes, lemons, large kiwis and baby kiwis
dehydrator (available at most home discount stores)
wire wreath frame (available from craft stores and some home discount stores)
low temperature glue gun
clear acrylic spray

Step 1: Slice and Dry the Fruit
First, cut your fruits into slices about one-quarter-inch thick. Next, dry the fruit in a dehydrator--remove all the racks except for the bottom one and place fruit slices on each rack; leave a little space around each fruit slice so air can circulate freely. You can put the same fruit on each rack, or you can mix them up; just remember that each type of fruit will dry differently so you'll have to check each variety of fruit and pull them out when they're dry. To help enhance drying, you can take a paper towel and blot excess moisture from the fruit as you go. Once all the racks are in the dehydrator, put the lid back on and turn it on.

Dehydrators work by sending out slightly warm air that dries the fruit very slowly. And that's very important because you don't want the fruit to cook. It takes about 24 hours depending on the type of machine you have. So how do you know when it's done? Check to see when the fruit is somewhat leathery but dry. You should still be able to bend the slices. You don't want it brittle, or else it starts turning brown and the color's not as beautiful. Once all the fruit pieces are dried, then you're ready to make your wreath.

Step 2: Glue fruit to the wire wreath
Start by taking a dried fruit slice, add some glue, and then just position it onto the wire wreath frame. Then continue adding fruit around the entire perimeter. It's best to use the bigger slices of fruit like the oranges for the first layer of the wreath, and then just glue on the other citrus slices, overlapping them as you go. Don't be too concerned about placement; just try to mix up the colors and fill in the gaps.

Step 3: Seal the wreath
Once the wreath is filled in with fruit slices, spray it with a clear acrylic sealer. This will help give it a shiny appearance and will help to preserve the fruit--especially if you hang it outdoors. And for a final touch, attach a beautiful ribbon. For instance, choose a green ribbon to pick up the color of the kiwi. Your wreath is ready to hang, either on the window or on the door. Or instead of hanging, you can use it as a centerpiece for a dining room table, buffet or countertop. It will look absolutely beautiful. For a slightly different look using the same concept, see the next step.

Step 4: Glue fruit to the grapevine wreath
Start with a grapevine wreath and glue slices of dried fruit on top, tucking them in as you go. You can also glue half slices making sure they stick out to give more depth. Then add cinnamon sticks or pinecones, and tie a ribbon around the cinnamon sticks to give the wreath a more elegant feel.

These wreaths will look beautiful wherever you hang or use them. Remember, you can add anything around the house or in your garden. If you want to add some red, for instance, dried cranberries look luscious on a wreath. Just use your imagination--you never know what you might come up with for a simple wreath that will welcome any visitor into your home.

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