How to Make an Apple Owl Centerpiece

Supplies: 

Apples (two for each owl) 

Skewer 

Small, sharp knife

I've seen many beautiful food sculptures but, like you - probably - I am not a master food artist. Luckily, I don't have to be when it comes to creating beautiful, edible centerpieces, party favors, place cards, and more. With apples, you can make stately owls, and they can then be turned into table decorations and other things. The owls are easy enough for anyone to make and, whether you need a centerpiece, or all sorts of table decorations, the apple owls will look spectacular.

As I said, you don't need any special talent for making apple owls. You do, however, need apples - two for each bird. The apples can be red, yellow, or green, depending on what you prefer. Each apple can be large or fairly small but, for each owl, choose a larger apple for the body and a slightly smaller apple for the head.

Before stacking the apples to make the owl, use a paring knife on them, and you can create the simplistic features. On the head apple, cut out two "bites", side-by-side, but with a space between them. The circles should be large and deep. The perfect eye is a deep circle with a seed exposed; the seed becomes the owl's pupil. But if you cut the eye out, and there is no seed exposed, dig one out, and save it as the pupil. You can make it stick by applying a bit of cream cheese or frosting to the eye socket. Try to make both eyes look alike.

Above the eyes - and off to each side - cut two triangles of the apple peel, and they will become the ears. Cut into the apple to make two elongated sides of the triangle. The bottom of the triangle should stay connected to the apple. Pull the skin up on each triangle to make it stick out, to form the ears.

On the body apple, cut more of the triangles like what you cut for the ears, and they will be the bird's feathers. Just make two or three rows of the triangles, pulling the skin out a little on each one, and do that on each side of the apple, but not the front or the back.

Stack the apples and push a skewer through the top fruit, and into the bottom one. Stand several owls in the middle of the table to make a centerpiece. Or, make a small owl to set at each place, and turn it into a place marker by writing the guest's name on the fruit with an edible marker. With that, the owl also becomes a party favor and a table decoration.