Trick 'em with This Tasty Treat! .... An Easy Halloween Craft

Materials Needed:
Artificial apple
Craft stick
Acrylic paint: Caramel Brown
Glue Pot with glue sticks or heat resistant bowl to place hot glue in after melting
Glossy finishing spray sealant

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Spray the apple lightly with gloss finishing spray to give it a shiny finish. The apple can be a traditional red colored one or a great green one in the fashion of granny smith apples. I have found some great apples for literally pennies in the clearance section of a nearby superstore which had nicks out of the bottom of the apple. Remember, nicks can be covered with the "caramel glue" so any imperfections can be easily taken care of with a little extra dripping "caramel".

2. Insert a craft stick in the apple placing it securely into the apple. If the stick tends to move around after first inserting it, gently remove it from the apple, and drip some glue into the hole. Place stick back into the preexisting hole and let dry. It should be firmly in place after this application of glue. Holding the apple by the stick and being very careful of heat, dip into a pot of melted glue. Quickly tip it upside down and let the glue run down the sides a bit.

This is the part where your creativity and personal choice comes into play. Remember, no two caramel apples ever turn out the same and yours will not either. As long as you don't have too much glue on the outside of the apple, you will be fine. I plan on leaving between 1/3 and ½ of the apple's original color uncovered with glue for contrast. Again, it is your own personal choice. If glue moves too slowly for your taste, use an old table knife or spoon to spread the glue around. Work fast though, as the glue hardens quickly.

3. Let the glue cool and harden completely. This may take as long as a few minutes to ten minutes tops. It all depends upon how hot the glue was and how thick you coated it on the apple. To let the apple dry and not stick to the counter, I use wax paper to place the apple on.

Remember, don't remove the apple until the glue has hardened completely and then remove the paper very carefully. It is actually an easy process, but needs some gentle touch not to pull the glue off the apple. Paint the glue area with the Honey Brown acrylic paint being careful not to get any paint on the apple itself. Sit aside to dry thoroughly,.

After the paint has dried thoroughly, either spray with a clear coat to seal in the paint and add a gloss to the apple or use a brush on varnish. I personally prefer a spray on gloss as it is easier to get thin coats on the apple and build up to the shine I desire.
You are done. A few of these picturesque beauties on a platter, discretely placed on a table is a perfect fall accent and Halloween decoration. Each apple costs less than $1.00 to make if you happen on great sale apples and in fact can be as expensive or cheap a project as you wish it to be.

This project is a great addition to a craft fair or even can be a fun craft for a scout troupe to make with proper adult supervision. As it isn't your typical fall project, it is one that will surely be a hit at the next white elephant or fall fund raiser and on top of being cute, it's a cinch to make as well!