3D Apple Pencil Topper Fall Craft for Teachers and Harvest Festival 🍎✏️🍏

Jesus loves you!!! Do you want to create 3D decorations for your classroom or harvest festival without using a 3D printer? Get 3D “printing” with printable 3D apples! It’s like peeling an apple…in reverse!

Amaze your students by showing how a flat 2D pattern spirals into a delicious 3D apple!

Knowing how to unwrap 3D objects is useful and has real applications in the 3D industry. 3D modelers and texture artists unfold and use these flat versions of 3D models for projects, such as video games, through a process called “unwrapping”.

You can also use the paper version of this craft as a project to tangibly show students hands-on that a 3D object is comprised of 2D shapes. Tie the lesson into the 3D industry by explaining it’s a 3D artist’s job to figure out where to cut and unfold the model to turn the 3D shape back into 2D!

To anyone wondering, “does 3D modeling skills transfer to real life without using a 3D printer?” Absolutely! After creating and unwrapping a simple model on the computer, I printed the flat UV 2D pattern on paper, which I then folded BACK into 3D in real life. (3D modeling rant XD)

1. Apple Fall Craft + 3D Pencil Topper Activity – Pattern (buy from me here)
2. Printer and Paper
3. Red Craft Foam (at least 6.5″ x 3″)
4. Scissors
5. Craft Knife
6. Tape
7. Brown Pipe Cleaner
8. A Green Bead
9. Pencil

Print pattern on paper. You will need craft foam.

Use the paper as a guide to cut out the foam.

Score the crease line locations with a craft knife.

Fold at every line, with cut marks facing the outside. Loosely spiral into shape.

Wrap around and apply tape from the inside to every seventh face. There are 6 sides. As the apple closes in, taping may become slightly hard.

Continue wrapping to the top until the base is completed.

Get a pipe cleaner stick and a green bead.

Slide the apple base onto the pipe cleaner.

Slide the green bead onto the pipe cleaner. Roll/fold the end of the pipe cleaner to secure the bead. Optionally secure the pipe cleaner to the apple with glue. Cut off the lower excess pipe cleaner or stick apple on pencil and wrap pipe cleaner around the pencil, rolling the end. You’re done!