How to Make Dried-Apple-Peel Flowers for Fall Decor
When I started making a batch of stewed apples this week, I had no idea that this creative inspiration was about to strike. And, yes, I know that influencers and bloggers are already sharing Christmas ideas, but I tend to share life here in real time, so here you go…a fall decorating idea in the first week of November.
As I started peeling a bag full of Granny Smith apples, I felt very much like Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle when the peel came off in one long strand, and I wondered what the peel would look like rolled into the shape of a rose. And so, I spiraled the peeling around to create the shape in my mind. And, I showed it to my girls.
But after I had peeled eight apples and had eight long strands of peels, I decided to try drying them to use for some type of fall decor. And so I dipped seven of the eight into a bowl of white vinegar, leaving one as a control to see if the vinegar affected the color of the dried apples. (Spoiler: I couldn’t tell a difference in them, and I couldn’t remember which one I had left as the control so I am not sure that it was a necessary step. I guess it could depend on the variety of apple?)
I placed them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and put them in the oven set to 170 degrees and left them there all day. My oven automatically shuts off after a period of time so I don’t know exactly how long they were at that temperature, but I think it was about 12 hours. It’s not an exact science—they just need to be in the oven long enough to dry completely!
I had the idea of buying supplies to make a wreath or garland out of them, but after my daughters (ages 6 and 4) made a fall arrangement with evergreens, gourds, and leaves, I told them that they could add the dried-apple-peel flowers to their arrangement.
The dried-apple-peel-flowers did add another interesting layer of texture to the arrangement, and so I let go of my ideas for wreaths and garlands for now. Of course, we do have several more bags of these apples to eat…
Here is a short video of the process for making the dried-apple-peel flowers:
And because my parents had given us four bags of the Granny Smith apples, I let Emma (4 years old) create this centerpiece on our dining room table. I set the pumpkin on a small glass bowl to add some height to it, and asked her to arrange the apples around it. It was so fun to watch her methodically pick the stickers off of each apple and place the apples around the pumpkin! It’s fun to let my girls express their creativity, too, as they learn to add beauty to our every day life…
If you decide to try to the idea of drying apple peels for fall decor, please share with me on Instagram or Facebook, either using the hashtag #hearthsidecomfortsfalldecor or tag me @hearthsidecomforts or email me a photo if you aren’t on social media.