DIY Home Decor | Winter Potpourri

Did you know that you can dehydrate and dry fruit in the microwave?  As my kitchen continues to be renovated, I don't have the luxury of an oven, but a few of the DIYs coming up over the next week or so meant I needed a fresh batch of homemade dried fruit.



| WHAT YOU NEED |

Oranges | Lemons | Limes | Cinnamon Sticks | Frosted Pinecones | Pinecones

Ready Made Versions [Dried Fruit | Pinecones | Mini Pinecones]

| HOW YOU MAKE THEM |

I have posted before how this can be done with an oven, but thought I'd share how I achieved the same with my microwave to create some Winter spiced / Christmas potpourri.  It's decorative and smells amazing and easy - you should try it!

If you have a DIY in mind that involves drying your own fruit, start the process a week before you make the project to allow suitable prep and drying time.

From previous experience, I selected the most fragrant fruits: oranges, clementine, lemons and limes - the largest ones I could grab in the supermarket.  I sliced them at around 1/2cm in thickness and then set them aside on a paper towel to soak up as much of the moisture prior to drying. I added cuts to the clementine quarters for a little variety in shape and size.

I also sprinkled a little cinnamon on a few slices before transferring to a microwavable plate.  You can layer your fruit, but this will increase the time it will take to dry, so I recommend smaller batches of one layer to speed things up.

Set your microwave to defrost and begin microwaving your fruit in 10 minute intervals and turning your slices each time.  The time will depend on your microwave and settings, so keep an eye on the first batch to gauge the suitable time bursts.  As my fruit began to dry out, I reduced these bursts to 5 minutes.

Continue until all your fruit is dry [if you feel yours is still a little sticky and fear that further microwaving may burn your fruit, transfer to your airing cupboard or on a tray under the radiator to completely dry.

To display my potpourri, I used frosted pinecones, cut from a stem bought at poundland, cinnamon sticks and a few real pine cones [not at all stolen from my nephews nature box - sorry, Jack!] and added them to a decorative jar, open bowl and as little hangings to the door handles to add a little festive decoration as well as scent to my house.

These are really easy to make and there are so many decorations that can be made with them. It's the season - and this is the perfect craft to get you in the mood!