How to Use Your Air Fryer to Make the Perfect Home Decor

The countdown to Christmas is officially on and people are already beginning to decorate their homes for the festivities. Whilst many tend to buy ready-made decorations, homeowners now more than ever are getting creative and are creating their very own Christmas decorations.

In the last month alone there have been over 138,000 searches for ‘DIY Christmas decorations’ and searches for ‘how to make a Christmas wreath’ have been up by 222%.

DIY Wreaths have also been going viral on TikTok - one video, in particular has received over 770,000 views and people are wanting to re-create the viral wreath for themselves with one commenting, “I need to try this one”, and another saying, “I love this! Saving to recreate”.

With this in mind, we reveal exactly how you can create your very own Christmas wreaths this festive season...

How to Dehydrate Fruit in Your Ninja Air Fryer

With dehydrated fruit being a crucial component of any Christmas wreath or garland and searches for ‘dehydrated fruit recipes’ being up by 90% in the last month, we share tips on how to dehydrate your fruit using an air fryer this Christmas.

When using fruit as a decoration for your homemade Autumnal or Christmas wreaths, you need to make sure they are completely dry and free from any moisture.

You can use the ‘dehydrate’ function on your air fryer to speed up this process - this process can normally take days if waiting for them to dry naturally. You can also use one of our air fryer accessory racks to increase the dehydration capacity.

The dehydration setting of your Ninja Air Fryer is the perfect way to dehydrate fruit that’s not only great for snacks but also perfect for crafts and DIY. It can help you minimise food waste all whilst saving you time and money. To use your air fryer dehydration function, follow the below steps:

1. Slice fruit

Finely slice your fruit to around 3mm slices to ensure even dehydration. If using apples, rinse them in lemon water to prevent them from going brown. Pat the slices dry.

When it comes to choosing your fruit garnishes, you’re best off picking citrus zesty fruits like orange, lemon, grapefruit and limes as they pack plenty of flavour but not too much juice which can affect its dried texture.

2. Place the pieces singularly in your air fryer

Place the fruit slices in a single layer in the drawer to ensure even drying. Then install the crisper plate in the drawer on top of the slices and place another layer of slices on the crisper plate.

Instructions: Set function to DEHYDRATE, set TEMP to 60°C and TIME for 4 hours.

3. Turn the decorations over

When ready, turn and dry the other side for another 1-2 hours then check the fruit to ensure it is sufficiently dried.

4. Optional

For a final step, you can also preserve your pieces for longer using glycerine. Coating your fruit and other natural items will help keep your fruit looking fresher for longer.

How to Create the Perfect Homemade Wreath

Once you’ve dehydrated your fruits of choice, it’s time to make your seasonal wreath. Follow our step by step guide for a simple yet effective front door makeover!

You’ll need the below items to create your own wreath.

Florist’s wire
A wreath ring
Sharp scissors
Wreath filling or moss
Foliage, dried fruit and other decorative items of your choice
String or a hook

Once you’ve got everything you need to make your wreath, lay it all out on a table with plenty of space and begin to envision how you’d like your wreath to look.

Create your shape - If you haven’t bought a pre-formed wire wreath, then you need to ensure your wire is shaped correctly. To do this, carefully cut it to the length and size you desire. You should then wrap the wire around itself multiple times in order to help keep the shape of the wreath nice and firm. Doing this also allows you to create a thicker wreath which will enable you to add more items to it.
Fill your wreath - Next, you need to fill and bulk out your wreath using your wreath filling of choice (many people use moss). This acts as a mould for the decorative items you’re going to add. Make sure you use florist wire where needed to tie knots around any loose packing and secure it into place.
Add your foliage - Now you’ve got a strong and sturdy base, you can decorate your wreath and get creative! Start with your autumnal foliage and place it on your wreath, using the moss as your base. If you need to, reach for more florist wire to ensure your foliage stays in place against the moss.
Decorate your wreath! - The final step to creating your wreath is to decorate it to your liking. Here is where you can add dehydrated fruits for a warm, inviting look or add other natural items such as pinecones, and acorns. You may find a hot glue gun works best to secure these final pieces onto the wreath.
Hang your wreath and enjoy! - Using string or a hook, attach to your wreath and hang on your front door.

How to Use Dehydrated Fruit to Elevate Your Seasonal Drinks

You can also level up your alcoholic (or non-alcoholic) drinks with dehydrated fruit to add both style and flavour.

Adding fruit to gin for example can enhance the flavours and add a unique look to your favourite beverage.

When choosing fruit to dehydrate, you’re best off picking citrus zesty fruits like orange, lemon, grapefruit and limes so they pack flavour but not too much juice which can affect its dried texture.

You can also dehydrate berries to add to rhubarb and berry-flavoured gins. Strawberries finely sliced can add a sweeter tone while blueberries can balance any sweet tones with a sour edge.

Spruce up Your Christmas Gift Wrapping With a Slice of Dried Fruit

Want to add something special to your Christmas presents this year? Why not add a rustic effect and take your wrapping skills to the next level by adding some dried fruit as a natural and homemade alternative to shop-bought decorations.

Simply dehydrate slices of orange, apple or pear and tie them with a ribbon around some simple brown paper to elevate your Christmas gift in just a few simple steps.