Last year I brought my food dehydrator and sliced various fruit and dried them for ornaments.
I used lemons, oranges and grapefruit- then I looped a piece of twine around it and had the kids hang it on the tree.
It looked great!
Of course, last year Los Angeles had a very wet winter.. so often I’d come back the next day and discover the fruit had rehydrated in the rain.. or the soggy pieces would end up on the floor.. plus we also had a rodent problem..
If I were to do it again, I’d try to find a kid safe mandolin slicer (if there is such a thing) for more consistent fruit slices. Or maybe buy a pair of those cut resistant gloves (they should make them in kid sizes).
Another reason I didn’t do it this year, was because the kids weren’t really involved in the process. Sure, I had them hang up the ornaments every day.. and I took them down every afternoon, but they didn’t really help in making them.