It’s no secret that fall is my favorite season. It’s also my busy season. Any produce still left in the garden has to be picked and used – a process that usually involves two solid weeks of cooking, canning and freezing.
By the time I’m done with the squash, beans and tomatoes we’re well into apple season.
Then I’ll juggle back to school nights and tending to our fall garden and making lots of apple filled goodies….
It’s busy, but certainly my favorite time. By the end of August I’m digging fall decor out of the garage. Since my busiest canning season and my fall decorating season happen simultaneously I always wind up using mason jars in my decorating because there are always plenty around.
This year I decided to put the huge amount of accumulated lids to good use too! This craft was super fun and easy. The apples look great mixed in with my fall decor, and the kids have asked to make some for their teachers, so it looks like we’ve already got a head start on teacher gifts this year!
Supplies:
- Mason Jar Rings (about 14 for each apple)
- Krylon Spray Paint in Banner Red
- Twine
- Cinnamon Sticks
- Green Pipe Cleaner
Collect your rings and arrange them on some newspaper in a well ventilated area. Spray the rings with an even coat of red spray paint. Make sure you get all sides of the rings. I did just one coat, but if you’re not happy with how even it is feel free to apply a second coat according to the directions on the can.
Wait until the lids are completely dry before flipping them over and spraying the other side and allow to dry again. I wanted a little bit of a distressed look for my apple, so i just rubbed the rings against each other slightly to cause some paint to scrape off, giving them that distressed look.
While the rings are drying you can use a pipe cleaner to make a leaf. Wrap the end of the pipe cleaner around a cinnamon stick or two – this will be the stem.
Once the rings are dry string them along the twine. Form a loose ring and arrange the rings into the shape you want. Place the cinnamon sticks in the center and then tie the twine tightly to hold the ring together.
I used a little bit of hot glue to keep the cinnamon sticks in place.
It took me under an hour to make a handful of apples to mix into my fall decor. I love the way they look, and the cinnamon sticks leave a nice fall scent around my home. This was a really great way to use up some older, dented canning rings I had around and a fun project to give me a break from making jam and applesauce.
This is our first fall in our new house – we bought it at the end of last November and didn’t have furniture until December, so I’m excited to be able to really decorate this year. My first project to tackle is the front porch with lots of pumpkins and these apples! You can even mix up the colors and do groups of green, yellow and red apples, which would look so great on a fall tablescape or scattered around the house! That’s my next project – until then, check out some other fall projects and printables on the blog!
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