Crisp autumn air brings thoughts of cider, cinnamon, and fresh crafting projects. Whether you need a quick activity for toddlers or a handmade centerpiece for your dining table, apple DIY projects fit the season well. Grab your glue gun, gather your paper scraps, and try these 29 fun apple craft ideas for kids and adults.
1. Classic Half-Apple Stamp Art
Slice a fresh apple in half, brush it with washable acrylic paint, and press it firmly onto cardstock or canvas tote bags. This classic project teaches kids about natural shapes and creates patterned wrapping paper. Try red, green, and golden yellow paints to build an orchard print. If you need simple classroom projects, explore our favorite apple crafts for kindergarten for more classroom inspiration.
2. Rustic Cinnamon Stick and Twig Apples
Gather backyard twigs, bundle them into a circular wreath shape, and secure the center with floral wire. Tuck a whole cinnamon stick into the top as a stem. Wrap a green burlap ribbon around the base of the stick to finish the look. This budget-friendly craft also gives your entryway a pleasant autumn scent.
3. Paper Plate Apple Suncatchers
Cut the center out of an inexpensive paper plate and stick clear contact paper across the open circle. Have kids press torn squares of red and green tissue paper across the sticky surface until they cover it completely. Seal the back with a second layer of contact paper and hang the plate in a sunny window. The morning light shines right through the tissue paper like stained glass.
4. Needle-Felted Wool Apple Sculptures
Roll core wool into a tight ball, then push crimson wool roving into the surface with a barbed felting needle. Add a patch of light green near the base for extra color depth. Finish your sculpture with a small brown wool stem and a single green leaf. These handmade wool apples look great on tiered trays and mantels. Explore detailed wool tutorials on Martha Stewart’s craft guides to master basic felting needle techniques safely.
5. Recycled Mason Jar Apple Votives
Coat clean glass mason jars with two layers of red chalk paint, leaving an apple-shaped tape cutout in the middle. Peel the tape away once the paint dries, then wrap jute twine around the rim. Place a battery-operated LED tea light inside to light up the apple cutout at night. You can distress the paint edges lightly with fine sandpaper for a weathered look.
6. Wine Cork Orchard Stamping
Keep your leftover wine corks for craft time. Dip the round cork ends into red tempera paint and stamp clusters across a painted tree trunk outline. Kids build fine motor control while stamping full apple trees in minutes. Add green fingerprint leaves around the branches to finish the picture.
7. Upcycled Book Page Apple Centerpieces
Take an old paperback book and cut the pages into an apple profile using craft scissors. Fan the pages around the spine and glue both outer covers together. Brush the outer page edges with diluted watercolor paint for a soft tint. Finish the piece with a real twig for the stem and a small linen tag.
8. Colorful Button & Bead Mosaic Apples
Draw an apple outline on a wooden plaque or stretched canvas. Sort red, burgundy, and pink buttons by size, then glue them inside the lines with clear craft adhesive. Fill the small gaps between buttons with matching seed beads to complete the mosaic. This low-mess craft makes a relaxing evening project for teens and adults.
9. Yarn-Wrapped Cardboard Apples
Cut flat cardboard into apple shapes with small notches around the edges to hold yarn in place. Hand your child a skein of thick red or green yarn and let them wrap the cardboard in every direction until they cover it. Slide a brown craft stick through the top loops to make a stem. This simple activity keeps young kids busy on rainy afternoons.
10. Polymer Clay Apple Stud Earrings
Roll small balls of red polymer clay, pressing an indent into the top of each ball with a toothpick to create an apple shape. Attach small green clay leaves and bake the pieces according to the package instructions. Glue hypoallergenic earring posts to the backs with strong jewelry glue. You end up with a fun pair of handmade studs for the fall season.
11. Rustic Pinecone Apple Ornaments
Collect fallen pinecones and brush away any loose dirt. Paint the pinecone scales with red acrylic paint using a foam sponge brush. Glue a short piece of cinnamon stick to the top base and attach a small green felt leaf. String them across your mantel with hemp twine to make simple fall garland pieces.
12. DIY Apple-Scented Sensory Dough
Mix flour, salt, cream of tartar, vegetable oil, warm water, red food coloring, and two teaspoons of apple pie spice in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until the dough pulls away from the sides, then knead it on parchment paper until smooth. Give kids cinnamon sticks, cookie cutters, and small rolling pins to use with the dough. Check out Crayola’s creative learning hub for non-toxic classroom ideas.
13. Macramé Hanging Apple Pods
Tie 4mm cotton cord into a small hanging pocket using square knots and gathering wraps. Tuck a carved wooden apple or a round decorative sphere into the center of the pocket. Hang the piece from a ceiling hook or curtain rod to decorate your kitchen. Macrame knotting gives adults a calm, screen-free project to tackle in the evening.
14. Popsicle Stick Apple Coasters
Line up six mini wooden craft sticks and glue two support sticks across the back. Paint the front surface with red acrylic paint, then seal it with waterproof Mod Podge once dry. Glue a small brown foam stem to the top corner. These coasters protect your coffee table and display your child’s artwork at the same time.
15. Natural Dried Apple Slice Harvest Wreath
Slice whole apples horizontally into quarter-inch rounds to show the star shape around the core. Dry the slices in an oven set to 200 degrees Fahrenheit for about four hours until they feel dry and leathery. Glue the dried rounds in overlapping rows onto a flat grapevine wreath base. Combine this wreath with our creative Thanksgiving crafts for adults to decorate your home for the holidays.
16. Bubble Wrap Printed Apple Orchard
Cut bubble wrap into apple shapes with the raised bubbles facing up. Brush green or red washable paint directly onto the bubbles, then press the plastic firmly onto heavy construction paper. Peel the bubble wrap off to reveal a distinct honeycomb pattern across the shape. Toddlers enjoy the hands-on stamping process.
17. 3D Accordion Paper Honeycomb Apples
Fold ten sheets of double-sided red paper in half and trace a half-apple template along each fold. Cut out the pieces, then glue the matching halves together one after another until they form a full sphere. Place a hemp string down the center seam before gluing the final sides shut. Hang these paper ornaments from light fixtures or classroom ceilings.
18. Coffee Filter Bleeding Art Apples
Cut white coffee filters into apple shapes and let kids color them with washable markers. Spray the colored filters lightly with water from a misting bottle and watch the ink bleed outward into tie-dye patterns. Once the paper dries completely, tape the apples to a sunny window or glass door. The blended colors look like watercolor paintings without any paint mess.
19. Farmhouse Wooden Bead Apple Garlands
Dye unfinished wooden beads in shades of red, blush pink, and forest green using liquid watercolor. String the beads onto thick jute twine and mix in flat wooden apple cutouts along the strand. Tie twine tassels to both ends of the rope to finish the piece. Hang this garland along your fireplace mantel or across a bookshelf.
20. Handprint Apple Tree Keepsakes
Trace your child’s forearm and spread hand on brown cardstock to make a tree trunk and branches. Glue torn pieces of green tissue paper along the fingers for leaves. Have your child dip their thumb into red paint and stamp little apples across the green paper. This keepsake captures your child’s hand size at this exact age.
21. Cast Concrete Apple Planters
Pour quick-setting craft cement into a round plastic mold and press a small plastic cup into the top center to form a planting well. Let the cement cure for 24 hours, pop the concrete shape out of the mold, and sand any rough spots. Paint the bottom half with copper or red acrylic paint for a color-dipped look. Plant a small succulent in the center cavity to set on your desk.
22. Egg Carton Apple Caterpillars
Cut out an individual cup from a cardboard egg carton, turn it upside down, and paint it red. Punch a small hole through the side and slide a green pipe-cleaner worm through the opening. Glue googly eyes onto the caterpillar with school glue. Kids can play with this craft alongside storybooks during reading time.
23. Cross-Stitch Apple Sampler
Secure 14-count white Aida cloth inside a six-inch wooden embroidery hoop. Use red and green embroidery floss to stitch an apple pattern following a simple counted chart. Keep the finished cloth inside the hoop to hang it straight on the wall. Cross-stitching offers a calming craft project and makes a thoughtful gift for a teacher.
24. Paper Bag Stuffed Orchard Apples
Open a brown paper lunch bag and paint the outside with red and lime-green paint. Stuff the bag with crumpled newspaper until it puffs out, then gather the top opening and wrap it tightly with floral tape. Push a small stick into the gathered opening to create a stem. Kids can fill an entire basket with these paper apples in an afternoon.
25. Stenciled Burlap Apple Tote Bags
Slide a piece of cardboard inside a plain canvas or burlap tote bag so paint will not bleed through to the other side. Tape an apple stencil to the front and dab fabric paint over the cutout with a foam sponge. Peel the stencil away while the paint is still wet to keep the edges crisp. You get a custom reusable bag ready for your next trip to the grocery store.
26. Felt Apple Pie Slice Play Sets
Cut tan craft felt into pie crust triangles and stitch thin felt strips across the top to mimic a lattice crust. Stuff the wedge lightly with fiberfill and small red and green felt apple slices. Sew the open edges shut with a blanket stitch. Kids can use these felt pie slices in play kitchens and pretend tea parties.
27. Quilled Paper Apple Wall Decor
Roll narrow red paper strips tightly around a quilling tool, then let the coils loosen slightly. Pinch the coils into teardrop shapes and glue them inside a sketched apple outline. The coiled paper creates detailed texture inside a shadow box frame. For more dimensional paper ideas, check out our roundup of easy paper crafts for kids.
28. Terra Cotta Pot Apple Candy Jars
Paint a four-inch terra cotta pot and saucer with glossy red acrylic paint. Turn the pot upside down and glue a small wooden doll pin to the inverted base to serve as a stem handle. Fill the pot with wrapped caramels or chocolates for visitors. These small candy jars make easy gifts for neighbors and school staff.
29. Crushed Glass & Resin Apple Mosaic Trays
Arrange crushed red stained glass into an apple shape on the bottom of a wooden serving tray. Pour clear epoxy resin over the glass and pop any surface air bubbles with a heat gun. Once the resin cures into a smooth surface, you have a durable tray for snacks and drinks. Check out HGTV’s home DIY tutorials for safe resin handling steps before you pour.
Apple crafts work well for both quick toddler activities and detailed home decor projects. Pick a project or two from this list, gather your craft supplies, and start making your own fall decorations today.