What you’ll need
For the garland
Oranges*
Twine or string
Utensils
Sharp knife
Paper towel
Baking paper
Baking trays
Cooling racks
Needle with a large eye (yarn needles are great)
Scissors
Method
Before SpikeHour
- Preheat oven to 120 degrees Celsius. Slice oranges into rounds that are roughly half a centimetre thick.
- Once you’ve sliced your orange, pat each slice dry with paper towel and arrange on a lined baking tray.
- Bake your slices for three hours, flipping each hour to make sure they bake evenly. Once the edges are slightly browned, remove from oven and place on cooling racks. Set aside and allow the slices to dry completely for 2–3 days.
During SpikeHour
- When your orange slices are dry, thread your needle with twine and begin stringing the slices on. Make sure you make a complete stitch through the orange slices: take the needle in one side of the flesh and out the opposite side. (We recommend horizontal stitches – in on the left and out on the right side of the flesh.) This ensures that the slices hang neatly on the twine/string.
- Once you’ve got the length of garland you need, snip the twine/string and tie a knot in each end to prevent slices from slipping off. Leave enough string on either end to tie to your banister, around your Christmas tree or to affix to other garlands (for example pine or spruce).
- Repeat the above to make as many garlands as you’d like!
- To add an extra touch of festive joy, consider adding in some pieces of spruce or weaving some twinkle lights around your finished garland.
Note: Five orange slices will give you roughly 50cm of garland depending on how far apart you space them.
Want to get rewarded for saving energy?
Spike is our energy-saving rewards program. During periods of peak demand on the energy grid, we run regular SpikeHours where Spike members are encouraged to reduce their energy use and meet personalised energy-saving targets.
Spike members that successfully reduce their energy use and meet their forecasts during SpikeHours are rewarded with Watts which can be redeemed for PayPal Cash or gift cards. SpikeHours are also a great time to take up hobbies or simply bring out the arts and crafts. With dedicated hours set aside weekly to switch off devices – AKA distractions – it’s the perfect opportunity to save energy and try something new.
