How to make coasters from dried blood orange slices

Do you know what comes together with the summer? An  insane consumption of cold beverages: cold water, cold juices, cold coffees and the list goes and goes on. With that said, I was thinking that my new cold buddies might need some fancy coasters to match their awesomeness. The possibilities of making handmade coasters are endless of course, but I wanted something that would look good, but also would smell nicely. Dried citrus create the best winter decorations, especially in conjunction with cinnamon and cloves, but no one thought to use them during spring/summer time, right? Well here we go!

Supplies: 1 blood orange, crystallic transparent glue (atlakolla the Mod podge), brush, knife, oven

1. I used blood oranges, because I liked their vivid color and their big surface, but feel free to experiment with any kind of citruses. Cut them in as straight slices as possible with thickness of 1,5cm (when they are dried they shrink and you don't want excess shrinkage). They have to be straight, cause even the slightest angle will make them inappropriate for holding mugs with water.

2. Put the slices in the oven at 50°C for 4 hours to dry without being burned ( and without being cooked). If your oven has the option of warm air that's even better. When they are completely dry, they are ready. Take them off the oven and select the most even ones and if necessary scrape any surface potrusions with a knife.

3. Then mix a little glue with water (in the ratio of 6:1) and cover the slices with one layer of the mixture. That will make the slices a little more persistent to weights and waterproof. You can let them dry naturally, but I put the, again in the 50°C for another 5 minutes since I was extremely impatient.

4. This was one of the most quick and easy crafts I have ever made. Maybe the drying might take some time, but the real time of making the coasters is maximum 20 minutes.

If you want more crafts inspired by nature, what about these garland with moss balls or this unique necklace made from pistachio shells?

Credits | Text & Photographs: Debbie Kortes