How to make a candle apple

Whether you have extra apples you don't want to waste or just want a seasonal craft to decorate your home, these candle apples should be at the top of your to-do list. They're easy, fun and fashionable.

What you'll need:

• Apple
• Tea light or votive candle
• Small knife (like a paring knife)
• Lemon juice (concentrate is easiest)

Step 1: Find and prep your apple

Whether you use red, green or gold apples, choose a less crisp apple. If you can't find a softer-fleshed variety (like Fuji), choose apples that have softened with age.

This craft is perfect for leftover apples from your last shopping trip, or you can take the softer ones from the supermarket and save the good ones for people to eat (if your grocery store is game, don't be afraid to haggle on price!).

Wash the apple (and take the sticker off if there is one). Remove the stem, using a small knife if necessary. Place the candle you plan to use on top (where the stem would've been) and use the knife to mark the outer edges.

Step 2: Dig a hole

Using the marks you made, carefully use the knife to mark a small, shallow circle through the skin. Go around the circle once more, a little deeper, then score the circle with an X across the center.

Using a spoon, dig out the top (stem part) of the apple (being careful to keep the "circle" as intact as possible). Once you've gone as far as you can with the spoon, use the knife to create another circle and score if necessary.

Go as deep as you need for the type of candle you're using. For a tea light candle, you'll only need to go about an inch down. For a votive, you can go further, but you may want to leave a bit sticking out at the top. You can keep placing the candle and removing it to see where you are.

Step 3: Make a candle

Pour enough lemon juice into the hole to fill it and let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes. This will not only keep the exposed fruit from browning as quickly, it will prevent your living candleholder from rotting a bit longer. After you pour the lemon juice out, let the core dry a bit (if desired, stuff a small piece of paper towel in it for a minute or so to absorb the standing liquid).

If you're using a votive, you'll want to light the candle for a few seconds and pour a few drops of wax into the hole to help it stay. If you're using a tea light candle, that's unnecessary. Then just press the candle into the hole firmly.

Now comes the fun part! Just put your new candles where you want them and strike a match!

More fall crafts

3 Fall crafts for kids
Preserving autumn's glory
Fun activities for the first day of fall