Try a crafty fruit activity with your kids by making this cute apple stamp garland! If it's autumn where you are, it's also a fun way to use up some of those windfall apples that are lying around!
This is a nice extension activity for apple themed units, or if you're teaching about autumn/ fall or fruit. It does get very messy, but it's a lot of fun for kids and they really get a kick out of using food to paint!
We have other fun Autumn-Fall and Fruits related crafts and resources that you might also like to try. See the end of the post for more!
- White card
- Apples (one per child)
- Red and green paint
- Scraps of brown and green card or paper
- Yarn
- Sticky tape
- Googly eyes or small, round white stickers
- Black pen
- Hairdryer (optional)
How to make the Apple Stamp Garland:
1. Cut the apple in half.
2. Apply red paint to one half of the apple.
3. Press the painted side down firmly onto a piece of white card to make the apple stamp.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to make 3 red apple prints. Make sure that kids reapply paint after each stamp, or the prints won't come out so well.
5. Take the other half of the apple and apply green paint. Repeat step 3 to make 3 green apple prints.
6. Allow the apple prints to dry (or use a hairdryer to speed things up), then cut out each apple.
7. Stick googly eyes to each apple, or use small, round white stickers and draw in the pupils. Add a smiley mouth.
8. Cut small strips of brown card for the stalks and stick one to each apple. Cut some leaf shapes from green card and add to some or all the apples.
9. Cut a length of yarn approximately 50cm. Using sticky tape, attach each apple to the yarn in a line. I made this a vertical hanging garland, but you could make it horizontal hanging if you prefer.
10. Your apple stamp garland is finished! Now you just have to choose where to hang it!
The garland looks lovely and bright with yellow apples, or you could also paint the apples half red and half green!
This is a simple craft but it does get very messy, especially in a group! You can complete this craft in under an hour, although you will need to allow for drying time. Use a hairdryer to speed things up, or you may prefer to complete this craft in two sessions.
Some tips:
- Pre-cut the yarn, apple stalks and leaves beforehand.
- Use a hairdryer to speed up drying time.
