In my opinion, no time of year is more filled with mystery and imagination
than the month of October. I especially love the crisp air and the
smell of burning leaves that ushers in my favorite holiday: Halloween.
Being a fan of the color orange since kindergarten (much to the
dismay of my blue-loving classmates), the Halloween season has always
felt as if it were created just for me. Much like the lyrics to
the old Ministry song, I believe "Every Day Is Halloween."
So if you’re
like us at craftygal, you enjoy creating a spooky atmosphere, whether
entertaining party guests with ambience, or greeting trick-or-treaters
with more than just the obligatory candy. And since I don’t
condone passing out apples with razors or anything, here are a couple
of classic (and non-violent) ways to put those apples to use. Everyone
who visits your abode will applaud your ingenuity and leave feeling
frightfully festive.
Shrunken
Apple Heads
I know exactly
how you feel–your holiday centerpiece just seems to be missing
something… Then it occurs to you, shrunken heads would be the
perfect thing to set it off! No, you don’t need to hire a headhunter
to do the dirty business–just buy a sack of apples and some
lemon juice…
- Items needed:
- Small bag
of apples
- Apple corer
- Paring knife
- 1 cup lemon
juice
- 1 tbsp. salt
- 1 or 2 metal
cake rack(s)
-
Core an
apple, and then peel it.
-
Mix the
lemon juice and salt together in a small bowl.
-
Soak the
apple in the mixture for a minute or two. (It’s important
to leave them in long enough, or they won’t preserve as
well. Mold may look a bit creepy, but that’s not the kind
of creepy we’re going for here!)
-
With the
paring knife, carve exaggerated facial features, such as deep-set
eyes and crooked, gnarling mouths. Start by making basic outline
cuts and then just gouge the pieces out–and fortunately,
the less pretty it is, the better it looks at the end!
-
Soak the
carved apple in the lemon and salt mixture again for good measure,
and place them on the racks.
-
Repeat the
process for as many apple-heads as you’d like to have.
-
Store the
racks in a dry place, such as an attic, for about a week–turning
them upside down after a few days.
-
Display
by filling a bowl with them all looking up, stack them on dowels
as eerie totem poles, or strategically position them in a bouquet
of dead branches. Here are some other suggestions.
Looking for
a great way to use the rest of the apples in the bag? Try making
this next craft the day of or just before a big event and your table
will be complete.
Bobbing
Apple Candle Holders
No one seems
to be quite sure where the practice of bobbing for apples came from
exactly. One tale I’ve heard is that the Celts believed it
to be a method of divination: the first to take a bite of an apple
would be the first to marry. I also heard that the apple has strong
associations with Demeter, the Roman goddess of the hearth and that
it may be a fertility rite. Whatever its origin, bobbing for apples
is one tradition that’s inextricably associated with Halloween,
and brings back fond childhood memories for many of us. However,
I don’t recommend bobbing for these babies–unless you’re
a flame-eater with the circus.
- Items needed:
- 4 or 5 apples
- Bucket, tub,
or punch bowl full of water
- Permanent
marker, such as a Sharpie
- Tea-sized
candles (1 previously burned, several unused)
- Spoon
-
Test apples
to see which way they float. (Every apple floats in a unique
way–don’t ask me why...)
-
When they’ve
settled, mark an X or dot on the top of each apple to mark where
the center of the candle should go.
-
Remove apples
and dry them with a hand-towel.
-
Next, center
the wick of the previously burned tea candle over the mark you
made on the apple while it was floating. Press the candle firmly
into the apple like a cookie cutter. (After you get it started,
it may help to press the apple into the candle on a flat surface.)
-
With a spoon,
carve a hole deep enough for the candle to fit in, making sure
you don’t widen the edges more than necessary.
-
Insert unused
tea candles in apples.
-
Carefully,
place apples in water-filled container of your choice.
-
Light candles
to test.
-
Display
right away or store in refrigerator until use, and enjoy!
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 Fun
Apple Fact: The fruit of the apple tree is believed to be native
to southwestern Asia. Today over 7500 varieties exist, varying in
shape, color, flavor, texture, nutritional value, harvesting period,
use, and keeping qualities.
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