Quick and easy instructions for making faux caramel apples. A great addition to your DIY fall decor (how cute would these look sitting on a plate in your kitchen) and great for Halloween party decorations too!
Wow, I’m on an apple thing lately. Apples in the my fall dining room, baked apples. And now fake caramel apples. Just a regular apple-palooza around here.
So if you are an apple hater, just shield your eyes and look away. It will all be over shortly.
A few years ago I bought some real caramel apples to use in a post about vintage Halloween party decor, but since there was no “real” Halloween party going on at all, just a photo session, it seemed like a waste.
I mean there is some kid out there still crying himself to sleep each night over the fact that he didn’t get to eat caramel apples for Halloween that year, because some mean lady took the last box just so she could have a pretty table.
So I’m going to show you how to make some faux caramel apples that you can set around the house for quick and easy DIY fall decor. Without scarring any little kids for life.
(This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. You can read my full disclosure policy here.)
How To Make Faux Caramel Apples
Supplies:
- Fake Apples
- Mod Podge in the glossy finish (8 oz bottle)
- Craft paint in a caramel color – I used Folk Art by Plaid’s cinnamon color (2 oz bottle)
- Corn cob guinea pig bedding
- Twigs, popsicle sticks or something similar to be used as a handle
- Ribbon if you want to get all fancy
- Wax paper or paper plate (not pictured)
Instructions:
Take your apple and remove the stem. It should just pull out.
Jam something into the hole and twist it around to make the hole a little bigger for your handle. I used a steak knife.
(I’ll just add that me trying to do this one handed with a broken arm with the apple wedged between my knees. Uh, not the best idea I’ve ever had.)
Push your handle into the hole. I didn’t feel it was necessary to use glue since the twigs fit in there very snugly. Snug as a bug in a rug. Or twig in an apple.
Mix your paint and Mod Podge together.
For five apples I used 1/4 bottle of Mod Podge (2 oz, since the bottle was an 8 oz bottle) and 1/2 bottle of paint (1 oz, since the bottle was a 2 oz bottle).
This isn’t Chemistry class so you can just eyeball it, no need to get your measuring cups all sticky.
Thoroughly mix the paint and Mod Podge together and paint it on your apple. Leave a rim around the top so you can still see a bit of the apple color.
I used two coats on my apples from Walmart since they were a deep dark red. The lighter ones from Dollar Tree only needed one coat.
Generously apply your “nuts” while the apples are still wet and sticky.
Now the bag of corn cob guinea pig bedding is HUGE. You will use 1/billionth of it, but I could not find it in any smaller size. I think this bag was $3 at Walmart though, so it’s not breaking the bank.
And of course, you could make your caramel apples without nuts if you’re nutty like that.
You can either make them more fall-ish looking
or more Halloween-ish looking depending on how you accessorize your caramel apples.
Oy vey, at 20 years old sitting in Chemistry class at college, never in the world did I think I’d ever be talking about “accessorizing” apples!
Additional apple posts, because you can never have enough apples in your life:
You can see how I used the apples in my Fall Home Decor
Crockpot Baked Apples which answers the age old question of whether a baked apple cooked in a crockpot is really “baked”
Inexpensive Fall Centerpiece aka Please Don’t Eat My Centerpiece
Great idea!!!!! You are soooo clever:-)
Thanks Christina!
Pam this is seriously the most clever craft idea I have ever seen for fall. LOVE IT!
Ah, thank you Debbie! Coming from the Queen Of Crafting, that means a lot to me!
ok my gosh, an apple wedged between your legs and a steak knife, you must have a crush on one of the doctors at the ER ha ha you forgot to mention another good reason for making faux, in this house if i set a tray of real one out on the dining table they would be gone before i got back to the kitchen lol and oh btw you getting a hamster now? xx
No hamsters. We had guinea pigs for a while and they are just too cute and adorable and then next things you know they die! It was too depressing 🙂
I’ve dated and saved faux apples my grandchildren have taken bites from over the years…their little teeth marks are so cute. Your caramel apples are so real looking, I can’t imagine what they would do with these…lol. Great project and tutorial, Pam!
That’s cute. I once had an overnight guest grab a faux pear on their way out the door in the morning. I always picture the look on their face when they tried to bite into it. It was pretty realistic looking though 🙂
Awesome idea and no calories 🙂 , thanks Pam!!
I didn’t even think of that! Yes, NO CALORIES!!!
WOW WOW and WoW!!!!!! This has to be THE best craft idea I have seen in a very long time!
Ah, thank you Katie!
I made two sets of these a couple of years ago, green and red, and they are very realistic. I’ve had people try to eat them! They have held up wonderfully and this is the third year I’ll be using them. However you did yours much more cleanly and dignified than I did. Yeah, I just rolled those apples in the paint mixture, let them drip for a minute while I called, er screamed for help, rolled them in the corn cobs, plopped them on wax paper and called it a day. Did I mention it was messy? The backup came from my little kids so you know where this is going right? Yep, fun project we will all remember. Thanks for the jog down memory lane.
What a great idea & project!!! Caramel apples are one of my all time favorite fall items!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
Those are adorable!! I think I will have to make some. Have a great weekend. Dianne
Who would have thought guinea pig bedding looked like nuts? Not me. We’ve only had those mouse looking critters, forget what they are called. And yes, so depressing especially when mom accidentally steps on one when kids have them on the loose. Not a good day.
OMG…so cute!!! I’m afraid to display these apples at my house…Hubby has a sweet tooth!!! TFS
He would probably only make that mistake once 🙂
I love this low calorie recipe, Pam! I’m afraid somebody would take a bite out of the very real looking treat! My girlfriend used to bake dough ornaments back in the day and her family would get mad when they smelled them baking and they weren’t something to eat. Same with cinnamon ornaments. We are such temptresses!
I bet people do try to eat them they look so real. You need to make a cute little sign now saying FAUX apples
I am in AWE. My jaw dropped when I read your candy apples are fake. I thought they were real!
Wow! These are just darling. Not to mention, such a fun & clever idea! With all the party shoots I do, I don’t know why I haven’t thought of this before… Now EVERY party of mine will include faux apples! Such a great idea, thank you for sharing!!
I’m a little late (at least out of season) to tell you how cute these Caramel Apples are. I made these with a friend of mine and they were so easy and fun to do. I set mine on a silver platter and put them on my hutch in the dining area and several guests asked if they were edible, or if they were real. My son wanted one to eat – he’s 45 yrs old and couldn’t tell they were fake! What a cute idea – might make some this coming fall and sell them at craft fairs.
Thanks so much for all your inspiration.
I saw your post on hometalk and stopped over. As many have commented, they do appear so real (edible). I actually clicked on a thumbnail photo to see if it was about a serving tray or other. For a friendly halloween prank one could set a tray near the door with a do not eat sign and see how many still go for it. Maybe use cornflakes for that one since pet litter is not edible.
Hi Pam,
I was thinking when I started reading this post…”Poor Pam, she has a broken arm! I didn’t know she had a broken arm!” And then I noticed it was a year old. Oh well, I guess you’re over your broken arm by now…LOL!
Great post though! Makes me want an apple right now! Not a caramel apple…just an apple. They do look so real! And I love them as Fall decor too…almost as good as hickory nuts.
Yes, thankfully it’s all healed now 🙂
This is pretty much the most clever thing I’ve seen on the webz! Such a cool idea! AND fat free!