Halloween DIY: Make A Glowing Poison Apple for Less Than $3!

Here's a quick craft you can make in about an hour, and for less than $3!

A light-up poison apple!

It's perfect for Snow White costumes, any kind of witch or fairy tale baddie, or just decorating the ol' fruit bowl.

My friend Christie made one for her steampunk Evil Queen cosplay last year, and I've been dying [snerk] to make one ever since:

(Photo by Troy Nelson, see more of Christie's cosplay on her FB page.)

Here's what you'll need:

- one faux apple (I like the ones from Wal-Mart best, about $1.75 ea.)

- a green glow bracelet (5 for $1, also at Wal-Mart)

- black craft paint

- and a sharp, pointed craft blade

First pick which side of the apple you want your skull face on, and sketch it out with chalk or a dry-erase marker:

 

I used a photo of a skull for reference, which helped with the eye shapes especially.

Now pause to take a picture of your cat, who's had her head on your hand this whole time:

"Helping."

On the opposite side of the apple, cut out a square "access hatch."

Keep it all in one piece, and make it at least this size. You'll see why in a sec.

Next is the super messy and time-consuming part: hollowing out your apple. (Be warned: the Styrofoam gets EVERYWHERE. Try working over a trash can, and not next to two lounging cats.) 

You'll soon notice there's a concrete core inside the apple. Scrape around it as best you can:

Eventually you'll be able to pry that out. (See why you needed that big access hatch?)

Once you've dug out most of the Styrofoam, it's time to start carving the face:

I recommend a fine-tipped blade for this, and cutting up & down in a sawing motion makes the curves easier.

My first eye came out pretty jagged:

I eventually figured out you can make smoother cuts by just slicing the apple "skin" first, and peeling that off. Then cut out the rest of the foam.

 Better!

Don't make the teeth gaps too perfect; we WANT them kinda wonky. (Lucky us!)

For the final touch, paint the inside edges of all your cuts black, and add some nice grungey streaks while you're at it:

 

 I only painted a little ways inside the cuts, so there'd be more white left to reflect the glow, but feel free to paint the whole inner edge black, if you like.

You could use a small LED to light your apple, of course, but after comparing a green LED to a green glow bracelet, I actually prefer the bracelet! It's more diffused, and it looks better in photos - while still being surprisingly bright. In fact, it's so bright the green is washed out in my photos, but trust me: it's REALLY green.

Wrap your glow bracelet in a scrap of tissue before stuffing it in the apple; it'll help hide it, and also diffuse the light more. Pop the access hatch back in place (it should hold, but if not, use some clear tape), and you're good to go!

I added my new glowing apple to my Nightmare Before Christmas display, where it glowed for a good 4 or 5 hours:

 Aaand one final spooky shot:

Happy crafting, everyone!

 

*****

Come see ALL of my craft projects on one page, right here!