An easy craft made with apples
There's something about September that makes me want to light every candle in my home.
The air gets a little crisper, the sunlight dims a little, and life in general slows down. Cozy season creeps in.
This, my dear friend, is Mabon energy.
Mabon, a.k.a. the autumn equinox, falls on or around September 20th. It marks the brief moment when light and dark are perfectly balanced and right before darkness tips the scales. Mabon brings another gorgeous opportunity to pause, gather in, and give thanks for what you've cultivated.
Making apple candleholders is exactly the kind of project that symbolizes what this time of year is all about. It has you literally hollowing out a symbol of harvest and abundance, then nesting a small tealight-sized flame inside it. Perfectly symbolizing duality. It represents the warmth of a candlelight contrasting against the cool arrival of autumn.
Apples and candles represent Mabon (the autumn equinox) in a contrasting, beautiful way. The apple is a symbol of the earth’s abundance and hidden wisdom, while the candle symbolizes fire, the fading sun, and equilibrium as day and night become equal for a brief day on Mabon.
Why Apples + Candlelight = Mabon
Apples and candles represent Mabon (the autumn equinox) in a contrasting, beautiful way. The apple is a symbol of the earth’s abundance and hidden wisdom, while the candle symbolizes fire, the fading sun, and equilibrium as day and night become equal for a brief day on Mabon.
Creating the Harvest Glow Candleholders
Before you start, collect these materials:
Fresh, firm apples (red apples work beautifully, but any variety works)
Tealight candles
A small knife or paring knife
A melon baller or small spoon
A mallet or hammer (optional but helpful)
An empty tealight candle case (to use as a template)
A cutting board
Parchment paper (for your work surface)
The Step-by-Step Creation
Step 1: Set Your Intention
Before you start carving, take a breath and sit quietly for a moment. Think about what you're grateful for as you move into Mabon. What seeds did you plant (literally or figuratively) that are now ready to harvest? This isn't woo without purpose. You're infusing this craft with your intention, and intention, as we all know, matters.
Step 2: Cut the top off an apple
Step 3: Create the Perfect Circle for the tealight
A brilliant way to create the ideal circle for a tealight is to find a template. The perfect template, in my opinion, is an empty tealight!! Turn it upside down, center it, and then use a mallet to hammer it down.
Step 4: Carve Out the Center
Then use a small spoon or melon scooper to pry out the apple core. Work from the indent/shape from the tealight template and go down about an inch or so. You're not scooping out the entire core, just enough space for your tealight to nestle in securely.
Pro Tip: As you carve, turn the apple gently. Let the tool do the work rather than forcing it. If you slip, you slip. That's character. That's the mark of something made by human hands.
Step 5: Add a candle
Whew, after all that hard work, the last part is to add a tealight candle into each carved apple. Use a battery-operated tealight or a real tealight, whichever you prefer.
And don’t forget to - Admire your work.
The Bigger Picture
This simple craft connects to something bigger. You're slowing down in a world that keeps rushing you and connecting to the Wheel of the Year. You're making something with your hands that you can't order from Amazon. You're literally creating light as the season darkens.
As you admire your Harvest Glow apple candle holder on display, remember you are a maker of beauty. You don't need fancy supplies or the perfect conditions. All you need is your inner magic, some apples and candles. That's it.
Here are some ideas on how and where to display your project
Arrange your Harvest Glow apple candle holder with other seasonal items like dried corn husks, small gourds/pumpkins, acorns, or twigs. Adding other harvest elements and colors adds to the Mabon vibe.
You can display an apple tealight craft as a:
Dinner Table Centerpiece. A simple and rustic tablescape for a dinner with family or friends. It will 100% create an enchanted magical vibe.
On a Personal Altar - add items that correspond with abundance, like the Empress tarot card or crystals like citrine or carnelian.
Give as a gift - include a handwritten Mabon blessing. This adds that extra special ingredient that comes with a handmade gift.
Seasonal Correspondence for Apples
Abundance
Wisdom
Health
Gratitude
Autumn and harvest season
Seasonal Correspondence for Candles
Element of fire
Inner light
Diminishing daylight of autumn
“May your home glow with the warmth of gratitude. May your table gather the people who matter. May you move into the darker months knowing that you, too, are light.”
