Art Works! is a series of blog posts created by the staff at www.EscapadeDirect.com that offer children of all ages and abilities the opportunity for hands-on art activities that allow them to explore, discover, and express their individual creativity.
We encourage parents to join in on the activities, too, and create their own Art Works!
Art Works! Activity #8: Shrunken Apple Heads
Last week, we shrunk fun decorations with shrink art – this week, we’re shrinking heads! Apple heads, that is.
Kids can’t resist making these unique shrunken apple heads!
This is a fun Fall activity – and the finished shrunken heads make great Halloween decorations, too.
CAUTION: Adult supervision is required.
What You Need:
- Firm, Round Apple – 1 for each head
- Small (Sharp) Knife
- Permanent Marker
- 1 cup Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Salt
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.
Variations:
- Click this link to read our complete article for this project, which includes additional tips and variations: Shrunken Apple Heads
You Might Also Like:
Grow Your Own Apple Tree – This easy to grow kit includes everything you need to start growing your own apples!
Pumpkin Nyokki – Grow your own plant pet with this limited edition kit!
Share Your Art Works! Activities!
If you have an Art Works! project that you would like to share, email us a digital picture (or scan) of your project , and we will post it in our Kids Gallery. If you would like, include the artists first name, age, and your state. It’s fun for kids to see how other children interpreted the project!
As always, encourage your children to come up with their own new ideas for art – and make sure to check back next week for another Art Works! activity in this series!
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