Fall books and crafts are two of my favorite pairings! Fall is a favorite for my family whether we’re apple picking, drinking cider or just soaking in the beautiful foilage. So why not put together a fall book craft?
Apple picking is a great family activity, especially in New England. Town after town showcase their finest apple festivals, decorating contests, and hayrides. Each year my daughter marks her calendar for the annual October festival where she gets to play old school carnival games, decorate scarecrows and pumpkins plus find her way out of the largest corn maze around!
This year, I decided to pair my favorite fall book with my favorite fall activity. Shine-A-Light Secrets Of The Apple Tree is the perfect book for fall. This “flashlight” book, as it’s known in our house, not only provides a beautiful glimpse inside fall and nature but also habitats. My daughter was fascinated to learn about trees and animal habitats but when you add a flashlight to the mix…you’re GOLDEN! Here’s a glimpse inside the book and it’s “magic”.
I wanted to add even more fun to this wonderful book this week when we read it. We decided to make an apple stamped tote to go along with all of the fall activities. All in all it was fairly simple, fun and we loved the result! Plus, we can reuse it over and over. Here are the details to make your own apple stamped tote bag!
First, gather supplies for your craft.
-canvas tote bag
-red acrylic or fabric paint
-green acrylic or fabric paint
-medium apple, cut in half
-2 foam paintbrushes
-paper towels
Next, prepare your working area and lay the tote bag flat for stamping. Take one half of the apple and squirt a dollop of red paint in the middle, smooth to the edges of the apple with the foam paintbrush. Make sure there are no big globs of paint on the apple. If there are, continue to smooth out with paintbrush. Do the same with the other half of the apple and the green paint.
Press the half paint covered apple firmly down on the tote bag. Lift gently. Repeat with the green covered apple half. Move from left to right or any pattern that you desire. I applied a fresh coat of paint after each stamp on the tote. I also alternated colors but you should do whatever strikes your fancy. Move down the bag, alternating apple stamps. Let this side dry completely then repeat the same process on the other side of the canvas bag.
Turned out pretty cute, I think! Ready to fill with apples, leaves, cider and donuts. Great for carrying to all of our fall activities and matches our favorite fall book! You can purchase your own Shine-A-Light Secrets Of The Apple Tree in my online bookstore here. You can also join my team and start your own book business here!
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Happy fall readers!
