How to Make Shrunken Halloween Apple Heads
Shrunken heads are a creepy and fun Halloween decoration your whole family can take part in. These heads, made from dried apples, look very sinister and are perfect conversation pieces for any Halloween party. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Apples
- Potato peeler
- 1/2 cup of lemon juice
- Paring knife
- 3 tbsps. of salt
- Artist's charcoal and colored chalk
- Glue
- Craft hair or dryer lint
Instructions
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1
Peel the apples and then coat coat them with lemon juice and salt to prevent browning.
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2
Carve the features of each face using the paring knife. Carve your features larger than normal to ensure they are visible after the shrinking has completed.
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3
Smooth out any rough areas of the apple with a cloth to help soften the final result. If the cuts are too defined, they only become more accentuated during the shrinking process.
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4
Dry your apples for at least 2 weeks in a warm, dry place on a wire rack. As the heads shrink and harden you can continue to shape the face to the desired look.
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5
Color your faces using artist's charcoal and colored chalk.
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6
Apply a clear matte glaze and allow to dry to help preserve the color throughout the holiday season.
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7
Add hair by gluing on some craft hair or use dryer lint.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Leave the peel at the top and bottom of the apples to allow for a base for the apple.
To help reduce browning even further, suspend each apple in a mixture of lemon juice and salt for at least 24 hours. However, you need to increase drying time to about 3 weeks if you choose to do this.
Speed up drying time by placing the apples in an oven set at low heat. However, drying time should still take several days.
