Apple candles are easy to make and add natural beauty to autumn and holiday decorations.
YOU WILL NEED
- Apples
- Floating light candles or tealight candles
- Sharp pencil
- Melon-baller utensil
- Paring knife or craft knife
- Lemon juice
HOW-TO
- Trace the tealight. Remove the apple stem and place a tealight candle, centered, on top of the apple. Using a sharp pencil or a ballpoint pen, trace around the perimeter of the candle onto the apple.
- Make a cutout and scoop out the apple. Using a paring knife or a craft knife, carefully cut straight down into the apple along the traced line. Using a melon-baller, scoop out the apple core to the depth necessary to hold the tealight. You want the candle to fit snugly into the hole. Carve out as much as needed so the floating candle fits with the wick base sticking up 1/4 to 1/2 inch above the edge of the apple.
- To prevent browning of the apple inside, pour 1 teaspoon of lemon juice into the hole and swirl it around. Pour out any excess lemon juice after all sides of the exposed inside of the apple have been coated.
TIP #1: Choose large symmetrical apples (like our Red or Golden Delicious varieties) that have even bottoms so the candles are stable. You can also use votive lights or columnar candles for a different look.
TIP #2: Red apples used to make apple candles left at room temperature keep for about one week. Green apple candles will keep longer at room temperature, up to 10 to 12 days. To prolong the life of an apple candle, consider placing it in a cool place at night, such as a fridge. To prevent the edge of the apple opening from drying out, which will cause the skin to curl after two to three days, seal the opening with melted wax.
TIP #3: Apple candles are beautiful placed in a bowl or basket full of plain apples or directly on a tabletop. They also can be placed in a galvanized bucket full of water for floating lights on a porch or patio.
TIP #4: To showcase the apple candles best as a table centerpiece or mantel display, place them on tall candleholders, varying their height and adding other fall fruits and nuts, or fresh flowers and foliage that accent their color and add texture.
