Shrunken Apple Heads

Shrunken Apple Heads

Kids can't resist making these
unique shrunken apple heads!

A fun Fall activity - and they make
great Halloween decorations,
too!

Safety Warning: Adult supervision is required.

What You Will Need:

• Firm, Round Apple - 1 for each head
• Small (Sharp) Knife
• Permanent Marker
• 1 cup Lemon Juice
• 1 tablespoon Salt
• Small Fallen Tree Branch (optional)

What You Do:

• Peel and core an apple to begin your shrunken head.
• Use a permenant marker to draw a face on the apple. Make sure to include eyes, a nose, and a mouth - ears are optional. Remember that the apple will shrink as it dries, so make sure to draw these features fairly large.
• Use a sharp knife to carve the apple flesh, following the face you drew as a guide. Please supervise children closely when using sharp knives!
• When you are satisfied with your "apple head", soak it in a mixture of lemon juice and salt for approximately 30 seconds. The lemon juice and salt will help to preserve the apple so it doesn't turn brown. After 30 seconds, remove the apple and gently dry it on a paper towel.
• Place the apple in a warm, dry area to begin the shrinking process. After several days, the apple will shrink and the facial features will become more obvious.
• If desired, insert a stick or branch into the bottom of the apple, and put the stick in a vase.

Tips:

• We find that the more apple flesh you remove when carving the facial features, the more pronouced these features will be when the apple shrinks.
• Some apples can take up to two weeks to fully "shrink". If you are using these heads as Halloween decorations, make sure to allow enough time. You can also speed up the shrinking process by putting the apples in an oven set to a very low temperature - just make sure to watch them closely as they shrink!
• Simple facial features are easiest to begin with. If you carve too much detail into these features, you will lose this detail as the apple shrinks.
• The more practice you have at carving the apples, the better the faces will look. Experiment, and have fun!

Variations:

• Leave the stem and a bit of apple peel at the top of the apple - this will look like a hat when the apple shrinks.
• If desired, use short lengths of yarn or string as hair for your apple head - simply attach the yarn or string with stick pins.
• Use your shrunken apple heads as a table decoration for Halloween parties! They are watching you!