Festive Fall Decorations

Colorful foliage, crisp morning air and bright blue skies, the signs of fall are everywhere. I've still got a basket of apples from the apple picking adventure and found something really fun to do with them. Apple votives, although they do not last very long, carved apple candle holders make a unique and beautiful fall display. They are easy to make and require very little effort to create a centerpiece or a basket of these beautiful fall decorations. You can use them individually to decorate a mantel or place them in a group with some spiced pine cones to brighten a table. For the next dinner party, I plan to float mine in a large bowl sprinkled with colorful leaves and place on the porch to welcome my guests.
What you'll need:
1 decorative bowl or metal tub
½ to 1 dozen apples
1 black or blue thin-line pen
1 small utility knife
1 spoon
Mixture of ground cinnamon, ground cloves and ground nutmeg
½ to 1 dozen tealight candles
a handful of colorful leaves
1. Fill the tab or a sink with water. Place the apples in the water. Dry off apples, separating the ones that float and the ones that don’t; most will float.
2. Check the bottoms of the apples that don’t float. The bottoms need to be flat so that the candles will be upright and won’t roll over.
3. Hold one of the tealights over the top of the apple (over the stem). Trace the outline of the candle on the apple. Use the utility knife to cut out the circle--about ¼ inch deep. Use the spoon to pop the center out.
Keep spooning out apple bits until the candle fits snuggly into the hole, but not too deep. The wick should be completely outside of the apple.
4. Sprinkle cinnamon in the hole and use your finger to evenly spread it over the cut surface, especially the rim of the hole. Place the candle in the hole.
5. Place the floating apples in the bowl or metal tub and make sure they float with the candle upright. Place the non-floating candles on a non-flammable surface. Light the candles.