Another Batch of Shrunken Heads

Our neighbor said we could pick all the apples we want. So I did just that and carved five into doll heads. One was really big but it looks super cool! The first batch is dried out enough I think. I need to find the sequin pins to put the eyes in. I don't know where they've gotten off to.

The neighbor's apples were a lot harder to carve than the store bought ones. I think they are still a bit unripe. 

The new apples look huge next to the shrunken ones. Now comes the hard part of making the clothes.

Rayburn apples

Most of these went into apple butter.

The ones we picked barely even made a dent.

Apple picking time.

Zombie Attack

I went to bring my six apple heads into the house as night approached. During the daytime I put them outside to dry with cheesecloth over them. I had them up on a stack of pallets about 4' high. When I got close enough I could see a head was missing. I thought maybe my boyfriend was playing a joke on me. But I scoured the ground and about 10 feet away I found the missing head with is brains all chewed out.  I suspect zombies. Or chipmunks. But I'm going with zombies.

The Survivors

Obviously they wanted brains.

Making Apple Head Dolls Out of Gala Apples

Now that I live in a new house with a new oven I wanted to try making apple head dolls again. I was going to use Red Delicious apples, but the Gala apples were the right size and shape and they were .20 a lb. cheaper. Works for me.

First I peeled an apple, gave the peels to the neighbor's chickens, and then carved the face and set it in a little water to keep it wet. I did one apple at a time and aimed for a variety of face shapes, noses, mouths, eyes, and ears. See the photo for the knife I used. If your kids are doing it they can use a spoon. After they were all carved to my satisfaction I took them inside for a lemon bath. One of them I didn't care for, but they change so much while drying that for all I know, that one could turn out the best. I labeled each apple for what I think it will be best for, but that may change as they dry. I'm keeping an open mind.

I took a large bowl and put in about 4 cups of water and the juice of two small lemons. I dipped each apple. If you don't use lemon juice, the faces will turn very black over time. That is great if you want a primitive style, but I prefer mine much lighter.

I set them all on a baking sheet and realized they are still very round and roly-poly, so I took a flat slice off the back of each one so they'll lay flat. The back will be covered by hair or clothes eventually so it doesn't matter.

Now I have to read my own notes to find out how hot the oven should be. I don't want to make apple sauce; I just want them to dry out.

Happy Apple



Hey Ugly



Indian Apple

lemons and paring knife

Ready for the oven (remove stems first)

Experimenting with a skeleton mouth



Sneer

Witch Nose