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Apple Stamped Squirrel Craft Idea For Fall

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Children’s book The Leaf Thief, The Pumpkin Thief, squirrel crafts with googly eyes, brown paint noses, and a small apple on a black plate. Craft materials are spread on a table.

Fall is the perfect time to cozy up with a good book and get a little messy with paint. If your little ones love the mischievous squirrel from The Leaf Thief or Pumpkin Thief by Alice Hemming, this craft will feel like magic. After reading the stories, you can bring that adorable squirrel to life using something you probably already have in your kitchen: an apple!

This apple stamped squirrel craft is simple, seasonal, and full of hands-on fun. The best part? A halved apple makes the perfect squirrel head shape when you press it in paint. Let’s dip into it!

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Craft Supplies:

Gather these supplies before you start so little hands don’t have to wait:

  • 1 apple, cut in half (this is your stamp)
  • Brown paint
  • A paper plate (to hold your paint)
  • Yellow construction paper
  • Googly eyes
  • Brown dot stickers for the squirrel noses
  • A brown marker for drawing the ears

Directions:

  1. Squeeze a dollop of brown paint onto the paper plate. The plate makes it easy for kids to see where to dip. Cut your apple in half so you have a flat surface to work with. The rounded top of the apple half creates that perfect squirrel head shape.
  2. Have your child dip the cut side of the apple into the brown paint, then press it firmly onto the yellow construction paper. Lift straight up to reveal a rounded squirrel head print! Repeat across the page to make a whole family of squirrels.
  3. This is a great time to reread a page or two of The Leaf Thief while you wait. The paint only needs a few minutes to set before you add the fun details.
  4. Once the paint is dry, glue or stick one googly eye onto the center of each squirrel head. Instant personality!
  5. Here’s the easiest and most satisfying step. Grab your brown dot stickers and place one right beside each googly eye to make the squirrel’s little nose. Dot stickers are perfect for young children because there’s no mess, no glue, and no waiting. Kids can peel and press them all on their own, which makes them feel proud and independent.
  6. Using the brown marker, draw a simple “M” shape above each squirrel head. Those two little bumps become the perfect pointy ears. And just like that, your squirrels are complete!

RELATED —> Fork Painted Squirrel Tail Craft

Two childrens books, autumn-themed stickers, a paper plate with brown paint and a red apple, and a yellow sheet with squirrel crafts sit on a wooden surface. A @GLUEDTOMYCRAFTS label appears at the bottom. A childrens craft setup with The Leaf Thief book, brown thumbprint animals on yellow paper, googly eyes, paint, leaves, and apple, all displayed on a colorful autumn-themed background. @GLUEDTOMYCRAFTS.A brown sheet with apple stamp prints—some transformed into moose faces using googly eyes and paper antlers, others forming the body of an apple stamped squirrel—creates an autumn woodland scene. Surrounded by colorful leaves, a playful squirrel cutout, and a red plate with an apple. Text reads @GLUETOMYCRAFTS.

This apple stamped squirrel craft is proof that the simplest supplies can spark the biggest smiles. Between the story, the stamping, and those easy dot sticker noses, your kids will have a fall memory (and a wall of cute squirrels) to enjoy all season long. Happy crafting, my friends!

A blue text on a white background, perfect for creating a charming the places you'll go keepsake.

A childrens craft setup with The Leaf Thief book, brown thumbprint animals on yellow paper, googly eyes, paint, leaves, and apple, all displayed on a colorful autumn-themed background. @GLUEDTOMYCRAFTS.
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Apple Stamped Squirrels For Autumn Story Time Fun

Learn this easy apple stamp squirrel craft for kids—a fun fall activity using paint, googly eyes, and dot stickers. Perfect for pairing with The Leaf Thief!

Here’s your checklist of supplies to bring this craft to life:

Prepare your creative haven by laying down a protective cover before the crafting magic begins!

Directions: 

  • Squeeze a dollop of brown paint onto the paper plate. The plate makes it easy for kids to see where to dip. Cut your apple in half so you have a flat surface to work with. The rounded top of the apple half creates that perfect squirrel head shape.
  • Have your child dip the cut side of the apple into the brown paint, then press it firmly onto the yellow construction paper. Lift straight up to reveal a rounded squirrel head print! Repeat across the page to make a whole family of squirrels.
  • This is a great time to reread a page or two of The Leaf Thief while you wait. The paint only needs a few minutes to set before you add the fun details.
  • Once the paint is dry, glue or stick one googly eye onto the center of each squirrel head. Instant personality!
  • Here's the easiest and most satisfying step. Grab your brown dot stickers and place one right beside each googly eye to make the squirrel's little nose. Dot stickers are perfect for young children because there's no mess, no glue, and no waiting. Kids can peel and press them all on their own, which makes them feel proud and independent.
  • Using the brown marker, draw a simple "M" shape above each squirrel head. Those two little bumps become the perfect pointy ears. And just like that, your squirrels are complete!
    Children’s book The Leaf Thief, The Pumpkin Thief, squirrel crafts with googly eyes, brown paint noses, and a small apple on a black plate. Craft materials are spread on a table.
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A blue text on a white background, perfect for creating a charming the places you'll go keepsake.
CLICK HERE TO PRINT THE DIRECTIONS FOR THIS CRAFT

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