Since I shared our adventure to the apple orchard on my cooking blog today, I thought it would be appropriate to share a fun apple craft as well :) I made these stuffed paper bag apples 7 years ago. They are really cute. I originally made them to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, however altering them just a little would make a fun fall project. Just eliminate the “Class Act Apple” words from the apple to use these as autumn harvest decorations.

What you need

brown grocery bag
acrylic paint in brown, barnyard red, and buttermilk
toothbrush
paintbrush
fine tip black marker
pinking shears (or other decorative scissors)
gingham material scrap
decorative buttons with classroom motif (ruler, pencil sharpener, pencil, etc.)
barnyard red medium button
cotton batting (Fiberfil)
white craft glue
craft wire
pencil
raffia
pattern

What you do

Lay brown paper bag on flat work surface. Cut out two large sections from the front and back of the bag. Stack those sections, one on top of the other, then cut out and trace around the pattern onto the bags. Cut it out with the pinking shears.

Beginning at the bottom of the apple, use tacky glue to connect the two layers at the seams, stuffing the apple as you go with cotton batting (Fiberfil). Work your way around the edges, carefully stuffing (but not too much!) until apple is completely closed.

When the glue is dry, paint the decorative edges and the stem with brown and the apple with barnyard red (see photo). When dry, dip the bristle tips of a toothbrush into the buttermilk paint. Test your splattering ability on a piece of scrap paper before doing this on your apple. Hold toothbrush horizontally and drag your thumb across the bristles, causing the paint to splatter spots wherever you aim it. When you are comfortable with this method, go ahead and splatter some buttermilk paint on your apple.

When the buttermilk paint is dry, use the fine tip craft pen or marker to write the words “CLASS ACT!” in the center of the apple. Using white craft glue, adhere a square of gingham fabric to the upper right hand corner of the apple. Glue a couple of decorative school themed buttons to the lower left and lower center of the apple.

Cut a piece of craft wire long enough to wrap completely around your apple. This should be enough for your hanger. Find the middle of craft wire, wrap the middle section of the wire around a pencil about 6 or 7 times. Pull the pencil out to create the curl at the top of your hanger. Curve the wire into a hanger shape and poke each end carefully through the sides of the apple as shown in the photo. Use the skinny end of a small paintbrush to curl the ends of the wire that you poked through.

Tie a piece of raffia into a bow out onto the craft wire just before where the top curls begin. Hot glue the barnyard red button to the center of the raffia bow.

Note: It is not necessary to paint the back of the apple, though you may if you like.

Primary colors: If you prefer to use primary colors for your apple, use red for the apple, leave the decorative edges plain, use yellow decorative fabric, and primary colored decorative buttons. Use a white craft pen to write “CLASS ACT!” on your apple.