Clay Apples festive decor

Today we are sharing how I made some easy and cute apples to be used as hanging ornaments or just gifts on Rosh haShanà. They are easy and quick to make, and can be done with a group of children. Adults will enjoy making these as well.

APPLES 

The supplies to make these are:
Air Drying Modeling Material
Acrylic Paints, Paint brush
Deco Art Glue, Sealer,Finish in Gloss
Twine
The process is fairly simple.
Model some clay into an apple, help yourself with a paper model, let it sit a few minutes then cut out the apple shape. While the clay is drying but still moist, cut the hole on the top of each apple. Let the apples dry.
Brush off any dust, and paint. Add a final coat of Sealer to give the apples some shine and protection, but that is optional.
I hope that you are inspired to go. Thanks for stopping by.

Pinecone apple craft for Rosh HaShanà

I know that a pinecone craft may sound more of a winter activity but there is so much more you can turn a pinecone into: owls or…apples.It’s just a matter of color and leaf  and you can easily have an apple instead of a pinecone. If you want a yellow apple the only thing to change is the color.
                              Pinecone Apple Craft

Materials: pinecones, paint, hot glue, green felt pieces.
1: Gather a few pinecones. If you can’t find any pine trees near your house.
2: Paint your pinecones. We used red paint but yellow or green will also work.
3: Cut out tiny leaves from green felt or paper.
5: Glue the leaves to the sticks.

Wood Decorative Apple for Rosh haShanà

Apples and honey: For Ash­kenazic Jews, these words are an inseparable pairing. We dip a slice of apple in honey to express our hopes for a sweet and fruitful year.
Why were apples and honey chosen for this custom?
It’s not because of what Adam and Eve did in eating from the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden; the Bible never identifies the forbidden fruit. More likely, apples were selected because in ancient times they became a symbol of the Jewish people in relationship to G.d. In Song of Songs, we read, “As the apple is rare and unique among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved amongst the maidens of the world.” In medieval times apples were considered so special that individuals would use a sharp utensil or their nails to hand-carve their personal hopes and prayers into the apple skins before they were eaten.
Neither the Bible nor the Talmud dictates the minhag, or custom, of dipping apples in honey. Traditionally, as early as the 7th century, it was customary to wish someone, “Shana Tova Umetukah” (A Good and Sweet Year), and honey ,whether from dates, figs, or apiaries , being the most prevalent sweetener in the Jewish world, was the most available “sweet” for dipping purposes. And as for the biblical description of Israel as a land flowing with “milk and honey,” the Torah is alluding to a paste made from overripe dates, not honey from beehives.
May your year be sweet, fruitful, and filled with contentment and promise.

WOOD DECORATIVE APPLE

 An apple turned from holly wood. It's a pretty simple project for the home Rosh ha Shanà decor in between simple, easy and creative projects.
Making decorations for your home doesn’t need to be difficult, take up a lot of your time or money. Many times the best decorations are the ones you find right under your nose, or behind the garage. That’s where this Wooden Apple started.
The woodscrew chuck is a most useful piece of equipment and can be used to good effect to make wooden fruit.
We prefer the stalks of both apple and pear to leave the fruit at an angle, and this factor influences the chucking techniques. This method means that slightly longer stock than normal is required, but I am quite happy to waste a little wood to make the fruit more natural-looking.
Choice of wood
Exotic hardwoods can produce stunning grain patterns, but  the cost of such species can be prohibitive, particularly in the early learning stage, when mistakes are not unusual. Native hedgerow and garden trees or shrubs can also produce dramatic grain. Yew wood,pine, cherry and holly are eminently suitable, as are spalted woods, particularly beech.

photos from "Woodcraft"

Method
Taking light cuts with the roughing-out gouge, reduce the stock to the suggested 70mm diameter. The profiling can now commence at the open end (the stalk end), using a 10mm spindle gouge. A rolling action is required to form the rounded-over section, merging into a swinging, scooping action to form the undercut profile. At a distance of 70mm from the open end, size in with a parting tool to a diameter of approximately 19mm. The remainder of the profiling down to the depth of the sizing cut can now be completed with the same tool. Before reverse-chucking it is necessary to sand and polish the completed section, and also to drill the 3mm hole to accommodate the stalk.




Koren Sacks Rosh HaShana Mahzor UK Edition: Standard Size by Jonathan Sacks (2011-08-11)

Felt apples decorations for Rosh haShanà

The custom of the eating of the apple dipped into the honey on the night of Rosh Hashana does have a special traditional significance over and above the ready availability of the fruit at this season of the year. And it is this special significance of memory that enhances the beauty and even the sweetness of the custom.

Fruit of Affection

One of the fruits to which the Jewish people are compared to in Solomon's Song of Songs is the apple. "As the apple is rare and unique among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved ,Israel,amongst the maidens (nations) of the world."

Apples placemats for Rosh ha shanà

Channukah apple

Star of David apple. Sun painted.

Shanà Tova board

The festival of Rosh Hashanah,the name means “Head of the Year”, is observed for two days beginning on 1 Tishrei, the first day of the Jewish year. It is the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, and their first actions toward the realization of mankind’s role in G‑d’s world. Rosh Hashanah thus emphasizes the special relationship between G‑d and humanity: our dependence upon G‑d as our creator and sustainer, and G‑d’s dependence upon us as the ones who make His presence known and felt in His world.

Shanà Tovà

The children door decorated with a big pomegrenate board whishing Shanà Tovà and felt apples

Rosh HaShanà apples banner

Apples Banner

Banner with apples printed on natural jute to decorate the house for Rosh HaShanà. Use half apple for the prints and acrylic colors.

Apple juice bottle for Rosh haShanà

 APPLES BOTTLE

Bottle hand painted with apples to fill with apple juice for Rosh haShanà

Rosh HaShanà apple decorations

Coloured felt apples decoration for Rosh HaShanà. 
Different shapes and mixed apples colours