Our Hopeful Home: What To Do With Your Dried Fruit Garland After Christmas

Today I'm sharing what to do with your dried fruit garland after the Christmas holidays are over.

I recently posted about how I made a dried orange and cranberry Christmas garland. My daughter and I had fun making it and I had fun displaying it on our mantel. My daughter also made an orange and popcorn garland for her own bedroom Christmas tree.

But once the holidays are over and you're stuck with the dried fruit and stale popcorn what can you do with it?

Most obviously you can throw it out.

dried orange slices popcorn dried cranberries vintage ironstone tureen

But why throw it in the trash when you can help out some hungry birds and outdoor animals, especially in the winter ?

dried cranberry orange slices air popped popcorn

Dried fruit and berries are one way to support your local wild birds and other wild animals any time of year. But they might just need it the most in the cold of winter. Winters here in Illinois get bitterly cold, with 14 to 38 inches of snow yearly.

All three -- oranges, cranberries and plain air popped popcorn -- are suitable for birds, deer and squirrels (although squirrels should be hibernating around this time of year).

Oranges will attract orioles, cardinals, finches and woodpeckers, among other birds.

snow covered cranberries dried citrus popcorn

Dreid fruit and popcorn look like confetti strewn on the snow.

Dried cranberries will attract mockingbirds and blue jays.

You can even add apples, lemons and limes to the mix. All are acceptable food for your local winter animals.

If the fruit is coming from a garland, be sure to remove the string before leaving the fruit outside. I would be especially careful if you used fishing wire, as we did, since the animals might get caught up in it and get hurt.