Carve Shrunken Head Apples

Do you need a Granny face for a doll? Perhaps you'd like to do something ghoulish for Halloween? Or are you looking for a new carving medium? If you've got a stash of apples in your pantry, you can use them for all of the above. Folk dolls made from carved apples have been around at least since the settlers of early rural America made dolls from whatever was plentiful at the time. Carved apple heads can last for years if dried properly and painted or sprayed with sealant. Here's an interesting way to preserve your apples...

Steps

 * 1) Thoroughly wash the apple with water.
 * 2) [[Image:A1_460.JPG|thumb|Peel the apple.]]Peel the apple.
 * 3) [[Image:A2_769.JPG|thumb|Cut out the core.]]Core the apple.
 * 4) Soak the apple in a mixture of lemon juice and salt (1 cup of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of salt) for about 15-30 minutes. This will keep the apple from turning dark.
 * 5) [[Image:A3_394.JPG|thumb|Begin to carve a face.]]Carve the face as desired, exaggerating the features. Draw the face first with water based markers.  Do not worry too much about it because as the apple dries, your "mistakes" will shrink. Plus, apples are delicious, and so  "failed" carvings can be eaten on the spot.
 * 6) [[Image:A4_75.JPG|thumb|Set aside to dry.]]Dip your "finished" face in the lemon juice mixture again.
 * 7) [[Image:A5_418.JPG|thumb|Opening up the dehydrator... Yum!]]Place the apple in a food dehydrator or in a warm, dry, well ventilated place. You can insert a wire into the apple to hang it, pierce the center with a long skewer and put it in a vase, or place it on a rack. Make sure air reaches the entire surface of the apple so that it dries evenly. See Warnings.
 * 8) [[Image:A6_122.JPG|thumb|Heads coming out... the one on the far left is only half dried.]]Turn the apple over every 12 hours or so until dry. It'll feel "spongy" when it's done.
 * 9) *[[Image:A7_831.JPG|thumb|Core holes expand when drying.]]Note: Core holes will expand when drying.
 * 10) *[[Image:A8_349.JPG|thumb|Head One-Seen in Step 6, above.]]Even the most rudimentary of carvings yield an interesting "face".

Tips

 * Choose a firm apple.
 * Each apple dries differently, so no two faces will ever be the same. All of them, however, will look elderly or ghoulish.
 * Add rice or dried out yellow corn "teeth", button eyes, fake hair (try pillow stuffing or wool), etc. You can color in the cheeks and draw lips with a bit of red paint.

Warnings

 * Drying the apple head will be more difficult when the humidity is high. Sometimes this can cause it to develop mold before it dries. To prevent this from happening, use a dehydrator, or put the apple in front of a fan or on the dashboard of a car with all the windows closed.
 * Apple peelers, corers and paring knives are all sharp edged tools. Handle with care.

Things You'll Need

 * Fresh apples with no bruises
 * Apple corer (paring knife and spoon may also be used)
 * Apple peeler
 * Sharp paring knife
 * 1 cup lemon juice
 * 1 tablespoon salt

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Make a Yarn Doll
 * How to Make a Sock Doll
 * How to Make Clothes for Your Doll
 * How to Carve a Smile on a Watermelon
 * How to Carve an Egg

Sources and Citations

 * How to make an apple doll head
 * Alternate Apple Doll instructions.