"Apple Of My Eye" Valentines

The "Apple of My Eye Valentine" card.

On top you see three white apple shaped interior pages and two red
exterior apple shaped pages. Below, left, half of the apple is glued on
to the other, leaving a section open to insert the interior white apple
pages that have been previously folded.

   This little tutorial for Valentine's Day was created for those of you who still like to handcraft your own cards and letters. If you are looking for a special Valentine pattern for your classroom teacher, this is a classic prototype. I have also included here the origins of the first "apple of my eye" references as well. Also view a few vintage versions of similar cards (below) from American publishers over fifty years ago.

 Materials You Will Need:

• white glue
• scissors
• red, brown, green, and white construction paper
• black pen (preferably permanent ink)
• pattern
• heavy cardboard
• a stapler
• googly eyes (tiny)
  

Step-by-step Directions for the Apple of My Eye Valentine Card:

1. Download and print the pattern for the "Apple of My Eye Valentine."
2. Cut the pattern shapes out and trace these onto heavy cardboard.
3. Trace around the smaller apple shape three times. Cut out at least three white pages for the interior of the card. Fold these in half and set them aside.
4. Cut two larger apple shapes in red, yellow, or green for the exterior of the apple card.
5. Glue the two red shapes front to back on only one half of the apple. see  picture, right.
6. Now take the folded white interior apple pages and staple these together along their outside edge to form a kind of a pamphlet. 
7. Then glue the outside pages of this little pamphlet into the open leaves of the red apple card. You may like to write a message on these. I have chosen to write mine on the outside of the card.
8. Now trace and cut out the worm shapes from green paper. 
9. Glue the worm's head on the outside of the front part of your Valentine. Glue the backside of the paper worm to the lower outside, back half of the Valentine card.
10. Now look carefully at the interior white pages and approximate where it would be best for the worm's body to be threaded through in order for both ends to appear as though they are attached. Cut a hole through all of your Valentine's white interior pages at this point.
11. Now you will need to weave together to strips of paper that are cut to an approximate width similar to the that of the worm pattern. You will only need about five inch lengths of two colors. One strip should be green and the other white or pale pink.
12. This art teacher, Mr. Lundgren, demonstrates the accordion ribbon fold technique in his video, that I used in my card. He has made several excellent videos for art students and visitors may access them here.
13. Now glue the accordion folded ribbon into place after threading it through the hole. Hold the two ends firmly in place until the white glue becomes a bit tacky. 
14. I have also drawn on the pattern sheet a stem and an apple leaf for you to trace and cut. Glue these onto the outside of your card at it's top.
15. Add details to the worm, leaves, and stem with a thin tipped, black permanent ink marker along with an expression: "You are the apple of my eye," or "An apple for the teacher," or a scripture, all of which are listed below. I also glued tiny googly eyes to my worm for character.

I have cut a hole, left, large enough to insert my accordion folded ribbon. I will "guesstimate" where to glue this in order to
make the interior ribbon look as though it is a natural extension of the worm's body.

Here you can see that I have inserted an accordion woven ribbon through the worm hole and glued it in place. The worm now looks as though it has eaten through the pages of my Valentine apple card. Below it a link to an art teacher who demonstrates this simple accordion paper folding technique in a video.

Pattern for the "Apple of My Eye" Valentine Card.
Click on image to download the largest file.

Where does the expression "Apple of My Eye" come from? The phrase "Apple of My Eye" comes from the Bible. It is first mentioned in Deut. 32:10 “He found him in a desert land and in the waste howling wilderness; He led him about, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye,"and then Psalm 17:8 "Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings. . . Proverbs 7:2 also includes the expression, "Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye," and lastly in Zech. 2:8 "For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye."

• Read more about these scriptures and what the meaning behind the phrase is here.
• "James Re: Who is the apple of God's eye?"
• Apple of God's Eye

More Apple Inspired Valentines:

• Share the Love {You're the Apple of my Eye}
• Apple sweet teacher's treat for Valentine's Day!
• Printable Sandwich Bag that may be used for apple candies on Valentine's Day
• Digital Costume Stamps Perfect for "Apple of My Eye" Valentine Cards
• Bridget's Paper Blessings: "You're the apple of my eye" card idea perfect as a valentine

Vintage Apple Themed Valentines: 

"Of Core-se You Know You're the Apple of My Eye!"

 

"You're the "Apple" of my eye Dear Valentine!"

"You're the APPLE of my eye . . . Please be my Valentine! card

Craft A Half-Eaten Home!

Above is a perfectly sweet apple craft that teachers may hang any where inside the classroom to decorate for fall.
Apple units are frequently taught to preschool through second grade in the United States during the months of September and October.

This simple little apple craft is so easy to teach to young students. Every student should have the following supplies to complete it successfully:

• white cotton balls
• red, green and brown markers
• two white paper plates
• white glue
• scissors
• five green pom-poms 
• one pair of googly eyes
• one tiny red pom-pom for the worm's nose
• a hole punch
• a few black beans

Directions: Step-by-Step

1. Color the backsides of both white paper plates with a bright, ruby red marker.
2. Cut from the center of one plate, a large or small hole.
3. Paste onto the front white side of one paper plate, a cardboard stem and two leaves. These should be colored with markers before gluing onto the inside edge of the back plate.
4. Paste on top of this first plate the second. Apply glue to the circumference of the entire edge of the back plate. Both of the red sides of the paper plates should be facing away from each other in order to create a three dimensional apple.
5. Let the paper apples dry thoroughly.
6. Glue soft cotton balls to the interior of your apple shape to represent the white insides of an apple. 
7. Paste inside of the apple, a tiny, green pom-pom worm. 
8. Glue on the worm's googly eyes and tiny red pom-pom nose.
9. Glue a few little black bean inside the apple to represent 'seeds.'
10. Punch out a hole at the top of your apple's stem so that you may hang your clever little 3D paper apple plate anywhere inside of the classroom.

This is wormy apple craft includes soft, bumpy, and rough textures.

 Pat Jaswell of Jaswell Farms in Smithfield gives a lesson on apple picking to 27 children from Harrisville Preschool. The children and parents got to pick Macintosh apples, just ripe for picking at the 113-year-old farm on Swan Road. The farm orchard has 11 different kinds of apples and today they did their first pressing of apple cider.

String a Wormy Apple Craft

String a wormy apple.

      This little wormy apple is made with just a few simple materials you can purchase from a local grocery store. Here is a supply list:

• small, durable paper bowls
• red tissue paper
• green and brown construction paper
• a black marker
• a shoe string (preferably white)
• white glue
• tape
• scissors
• one box of Kellogg's Froot Loops

Step-by-Step Directions:

1. With the pointed end of your scissors, punch a whole in the bottom of the paper bowl that is just big enough to push the end of your shoe string through to the backside of the bowl. Tape this end firmly to the back side so that your shoe string is permanently attached to the bowl. 
2. Draw and color in a few tiny apple seeds on the inside bottom of your bowl. This will represent the core of your apple. 
3. Now the bowl is ready for a small student to decorate with tissue and construction paper. At this point you could have your student(s) paint the bowl instead. I have chosen to use a layered torn paper method for the project in order to avoid the accidental consumption of paint. However there are many non-toxic and even edible paints on the market today that teachers could use alternatively for the craft project here without worry. The bowl is not intended for liquids to be poured into it; but the cereal worm might get a little paint on it before your student(s) ingest that part of their craft.
4. Layer red tissue with white school glue just around the edge of the bowl approximately one inch down the sides in order to suggest a bright red apple. 
5. Then cut and paste a simple stem and two leaves to the top half of your apple bowl to further suggest the apple's realistic appearance. 
6. Now empty the Kellogg's Froot Loops into a large bowl and place it in the center of your cleaned work table. Make sure the bowls have dried over night and that your students have very clean hands while they string their cereal worms.
7. Be prepared for much of the cereal to disappear into little hungry mouths! Knot the end of their worms and send the craft home. 

On the far left, you can see how the shoe string looks when it has been poked through the backside of the paper bowl.
Center is a picture of the paper apple bowl before a student has strung their cereal worm. On the far right, is a picture
of the shoe string as it looks unraveled and ready for stringing.

Stringing small objects like Froot Loops or Cherrios can help
develop your child's small motor skills.

Because this craft activity is edible, teachers may wish to string
 cereal worms during snack time at their preschool or kindergarten.

More Edible Crafts:

• Caramel Rice Krispies Treat Sand Castle
• Cross craft made with Froot Loops
• Craft Noah's Ark with Animal Crackers
• Edible playdough you will want to eat!