Drying oranges for Christmas decorations

[5Foot5]

At the weekend I was visiting a stately home and in the shop they had some lovely Christmas decorations. There was one garland that looked and smelt beautiful and consisted of dried oranges - some slices and some whole oranges with slits cut down the side - cinammon sticks and bay leaves. Now it occurred to me it might be fun to try to make one myself but I am not sure about the drying process.

If I dry the fruit in the oven has anyone any idea what temperature to use and how long for? I tried googling and got answers varing from 3 to 45 hours!
Also does anyone know if this will work so well with the whole oranges? And how long would they last - is this just a one season decoration?

Thanks

Basically take and orange and stick cloves in the skin in whatever pattern you want!

like this

I'll try and do the linky thing.
www.herbsociety.org.uk
have an activity sheet called "Making a Pomander" which gives a step by step guide to how to do it.
I read somewhere else that the oris root (which I'd never heard of until I read this thread) sets the fragrance and keeps it smelling nice for longer.

Soory - I'm a novice.
Try this:
www.herbsociety.org.uk/schools/activities/pomander.htm

Orris root powder is availale on ebay

i did clove studded satsumas one year, left them in the bottom oven of the range and then completely forgot about them until days later

i'd had the top oven on loads as well

they were beautifully dried, if a little toasty coloured, so I spray painted them silver which looked fab, so if you do singe any don't throw them out!

I have done slices too, and they have been going three or four years now....tesco value oranges thickly sliced and dried on a wire tray till they feel very light.

I think you need an Aga to dry them, have you thought about a dehydrator?

Well I've sent for the Orris root powder from e-bay but I'm NOT buying an Aga for the sake of 2 pomanders!!!
I'm sure the Aga-less among us can find an alternative way of drying these.

Before sticking cloves in oranges, I encircle orange with sticky-tape twice, crossing at top, which creates tidy space for ribbon to tie round later for hanging purposes. Best use small skewer or toothpicks to make holes for cloves, packing them closely together (apart from spaces for ribbons). Mine have lasted 5+ years without orris or being mouldy, but have shrunk as far as cloves will allow, and ribbons will need renewing or tightening later.
Mine sit in wardrobe, and would probably smell stronger with orris.

OK.
I've done the cloves in the orange and rolled in Orris root poder and ground cinnamon but, to be honest, it was quite hard work and a bit messy.
Orange is still in the process of drying out so no ribbon on it yet but, I was thinking..............
it does smell really lovely (but not really very orangey. Could I by-pass the orange and make lavender bag-type thingies with a teaspoon of each of the powders and a few cloves and sew it all up into a little bag.
Would this work?

Marking place!