Fall Inspired Apple Crafts

Kids love apples and apples are synonymous with fall. As the fall approaches, gather up some craft supplies and a few apples and try your hand at some of these fun fall inspired apple crafts.

Apple Stamps:
You can beat the easy to do apple stamps for toddlers and preschoolers. Find various types and shapes of apples and experiment cutting them different ways. Everyone remembers the delight when they discovered that cutting an apple around the middle yields a perfectly nice star shape. Share this with your child. After you have cut the apples, provide them with green, red and yellow paint and let them dip or paint the paint on the apple and press on paper. For a wearable craft, use fabric paint and let them decorate a plain t-shirt or sweatshirt-or a plain canvas tote bag.

Old Apple Faces:
This is a fun and interesting way to make a craft out of an apple. Make an old apple couple. When an apple begins to age, it looks just like a wrinkled face. For each couple, you will need two apples-any variety is fine, but look for a larger sized fruit. Next, you will need to peel and core the apple and use a knife to carve out eyes, nose and a mouth. Place the entire apple in a bowl filled with lemon juice and leave for about an hour. Next, dry the apple and spear it onto a pencil or dowel rod from the bottom. Place the pencil or rod in a long necked vase or bottle and leave the apple for about three weeks. When it begins to dry, it will become wrinkled. Then you can get creative and add clothing and even string hair. Leave the pencil in the bottle and you can wrap the fabric around the bottle for easy dressing.

Apple Candleholders
These unique candleholders are perfect for adorning the table during the fall. For each one, you will need an apple (any color will work) that sits flat on the table and a taper candle. Using a soft cloth to shine your apple and then core it about ½ inch from the top. Make it big enough for the candle to fit snugly. Add the candle. Experiment with apple and candle colors and group enough together to make a whole centerpiece. How about adding some fall leaves or greenery around the bottom? You can do the same thing with small tealight candles and placing them in a large bucket of water to float.

Dried Apples (for a garland or wreath)
Nothing smells better than apples and cinnamon. You can create this scent for your home by drying apple slices. Start by coring, peeling and slicing apples in ¼ inch slices. Soak your slices in a bowl of real lemon juice and salt for about 10 minutes. In another bowl, mix together cinnamon, allspice and cloves. Remove the apple slices and pat dry. Dust each apple slice on both sides with spices. Place on a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 150 degrees for about six hours. When they are done, the apples will be flexible, and should not break. String your apples on a ribbon or heavy wire.