Michigan Apple-Head Doll
(Click here to see photos of making an apple-head doll.)

Supplies needed for apple-head:

• Fresh apples (not too soft!)
• Paring knife (for peeling)
• Butter knife or vegetable peeler (for carving)
• Lemon juice
• Salt
• Wire

Suggested supplies for doll's body:

• Sturdy wire or popsicle stick and pipe cleaners
• String or yarn (or wrapping body)
• Fabric scraps
• Beads or apple seeds (for eyes)
• Polyester fiberfill (to give the body some shape!)
• Carded wool, yarn or other material (for hair)
• Water color paints (to add rosy cheeks and lips)
• Wire cutters
• Needle nose pliers (to help bend wire)

Make Your Apple-head Doll:

Step 1: Select and peel an apple. Medium or large apples that are not too soft work best. Make sure to remove all bruised spots. These can cause your apple to rot.

Step 2: Carve your apple face, using a butter knife or the tip of a vegetable peeler. Kids, make sure you have an adult help you with this step! Start by cutting a U-shaped line for the nose, then remove wedges of the apple by cutting toward the cut lines of the nose. Carve out cheeks and eye sockets. Cut slits for the eyes and a line for the mouth. Add lines around the eyes and on the forehead of your doll to add wrinkles. Remember to make the features well-defined to allow for shrinkage when the apple dries! (Note: Don't worry if you make a mistake carving your face – if you don't like the way your apple looks, just eat it, and start over!)

Step 3: Preserve your apple. Soak your apple for five minutes in a mixture of one cup lemon juice, two tablespoons salt, and enough water to cover the apple. This will prevent your apple from rotting or excess browning during the drying process.

Step 4:Insert a wire into the top of the apple and hang to dry (or place on a drying rack) in a warm, dry area. Drying may take several weeks! If it is too humid, your apple may mold, so apples should be hung in drier weather, or in a heated room. Apples can also be placed in front of a fan, or dried using a dehydrator or oven. If you use an oven, place the apple on a rack and heat on a VERY LOW temperature – about 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Don't heat your apple too hot or too long or you may start to cook it instead of drying it!

Step 5: Add finishing touches to your apple-head. Your apple is ready when spongy-dry. At this time, you can pinch or re-cut lines if the face needs reshaping. Insert beads or apple seeds into the eye slits. Use watercolor paints to add rosy cheeks and lips to your doll. Glue hair to the top of the head. Be creative!

Step 6: Build a body for your doll. (This can be done while your apple is drying!) Shape the body with wire. (You can also use a Popsicle stick for the body and pipe cleaners for arms and legs.) Using the wire, and starting at the top or “neck” of the body, leave about 2 inches of wire. This will be used to attach the head later. At the two-inch mark, bend the wire to the right. Loop to make an arm, then bend the wire back to the middle. Wrap around the center and make loops for the other arm and legs. Cut the wire with wire cutters and wrap the remaining wire around the middle of your doll body. The body should be about 9 inches long. Wrap a scrap of material around the center of your doll's body, covering the wire. Place fiber fill around the center (over the top of the cloth) and wrap with yarn to hold it in place. Continue to add fiber fill to the arms and legs, wrapping yarn tightly to secure the padding.

Step 7: “Dress” your doll. Once you have the body shaped how you want it, start adding colorful cloth strips to make “clothes” for your doll. These can be tied or glued on. You can make your doll more fancy by sewing a dress, shirt or pants, adding shoes or gloves, and maybe a hat, scarf or suspenders! Use your imagination!

Step 8: Add the head to finish your doll. Insert the two-inch wire “neck” into the apple, and push the wire through the head. Using the pliers, bend the top tip of the wire to secure the apple in place. Cover the wire tip with a hat, scarf or more hair. You now have your very own, very unique Michigan apple-head doll to enjoy and show off!