Here’s a perfect end of year gift for that favorite teacher, an apple that won’t go bad and will remind kids to read, read, read over the summer! Pick up cast off paperbacks for this; books with well-bent spines make the project easier!

Things you’ll need:
Paperback book (about 1 1/2 inches thick at least)
Green or red stamp pad
Craft knife
Craft Glue
Scrap of brown paper
Clothespins or clamps

Things to do:
1. Cut off the covers from the book, both front and back.

2. Using one of the covers, cut half an apple shape to use as a guide.

3. Laying the template onto the top page of the book, begin cutting around the guide, pulling off the excess paper as you go, until you have cut through the entire book.

4. Dab the edges of the apple with the inkpad until the entire outside edge is colored.

5. Bring the front and back pages around to meet each other and glue with a generous amount of craft glue. Clamp in place until dry.

6. Bend and crease the spine of the book until the pages are more or less evenly fanned out to create an apple shape. Add extra ink to bare spots.
7. Twist the scrap of brown paper into a stem shape and glue into the hole created from the now bent around spine.