How to Make a Shrunken Head for Halloween

Most decorations you see at Halloween are common and therefore are not scary any more. You may want something more unique that people are going to stop and take a look at or even be grossed out by. This craft for creating a shrunken head is perfect. You can duplicate this craft and make enough shrunken heads to hang them from your porch. You could also place them on a pole by your mailbox to scare the mailman. The possibilities are endless.

Things You'll Need

• Big Apple
• Peeler
• Rice
• 5 cups of Water
• 1/2 cup of Salt
• 2 Raisins
• String
• Hot Glue Gun
• Scissors
• 3 Tbs Lemon Juice
• Bowl
• Bandana
• Doll hair
• Aerosol Craft Sealer
• Knife or Carving Tools

Instructions

1. Peel your apple's skin off. You can use a traditional vegetable peeler or you can use a knife--whichever is easier for you.

2. Carve a face in to your apple with a knife or some pumpkin carving tools. Make the facial features bigger than you would normally because they will shrink a bit.

3. Pour water, salt and lemon juice in to a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add your apple to the mixture. Leave it there for 24 hours. This mixture will keep your apple from rotting so that you can enjoy it as a craft piece.

4. Poke a small hole through the apple from top to bottom; a skewer would be good for this. Then, thread a piece of string through the apple and tie in a knot at the bottom. Hang the apple from a clothesline or somewhere it won't get wet. Leave the apple hanging for three weeks until it completely dries out.

5. Take your apple down and add some items to it to make it more lifelike. Some raisins work great as eyes and rice works great as teeth.

6. Spray your shrunken head with aerosol craft sealer so that it will stay good for a long time.

7. Top the shrunken head off with a bandanna. Display at Halloween time, to the delight and fear of your neighbors!

Tips & Warnings

• Add some doll hair for effect. Make it stringy like it has been falling out for years.

• Keep an eye on your apple while it is hanging so that you can remove any parts that may begin to rot.