Making Shrunken Heads for Halloween

Oh yes. It is almost that time again! So as we plan our fun, I am reminded of years past when my Mom used to always give us a little treat bag for Halloween.

We lived in a small neighborhood, so the candy pickin's were quite slim. There was always one or two neighbors that give us the bulk of our candy haul, but many of the houses were quite dark on Hallow's Eve.

Last year we had a fun Halloween party and I did a post about what I wanted to make for the party and decor. Did you go check that link out?  ^the one up there^   It has some other good ideas for treats and tricks!

So here's how our Shrunken Heads went:

You will need:

• As many apples as you feel inspired to fiddle with (any kind will do- I went with cheap, here)
• Something to cut on/in/with (I sat on the couch watching a movie while the Hubs worked, with a bread pan in my lap. It worked fine.)
• A bowl full of water with a splash of lemon juice (it will prevent the apples from turning, and helps with the drying process)
• An oven set to low
• A little bit of creativity

Start with apples...do I really need to show a picture of an apple? Didn't think so. I went ahead and peeled them-no fancy tools needed. Just use small knives (or cheese knives like I did!) And then look at them for a bit of inspiration. After peeling- I just gouged a couple holes for eyes, cut away a nose and gave each one a different mouth. I even attempted a kitty head. Cute, huh? 

Step 1: Peel the apples. Doesn't matter what kind. I just bought the cheapest there. Bigger apples make bigger heads, and different kinds make different color heads in the end. For the first one we just used the same kind of apples.

Step 2: Soak the peeled apples in water with a little bit of lemon juice. A tablespoon or two will suffice. 

Step 3: After soaking the apples a bit-the lemon juice method helps to keep them from browning and getting mushy- carve them into faces.Tip No. 1:  Be sure to over exaggerate the features. Remember these guys are going to shrink! A LOT! 

As you can see- they don't need too much detail... and if you are wondering where the scraps are- well. It was apple, after all. I ate every last piece that I carved away. ^_^

Step 4: Turn your oven on to no higher than 175 F. Put the apples on a wire rack, and stick them in the oven. After about ten minutes turn the oven off and let the apples sit over night.

These are the wonderful things I woke up to! Aren't they awesome!?

If they haven't fully dried out, just put them back in the oven, crank it to 175 F and then shut it off. And repeat that until they are dried to your heart's content.


Then: skewer, and poke into a burlap sack filled with beans. Or find another way to display your creations! Either way, have fun and show me what you made! I'd love to see your ghoulish friends!!!

Thanks for stopping by- Find more Halloween Projects (and my original post of this one) here!

~Live in the sweet rhythm of love!