3D Apple Craft

This free printable 3D apple craft gives kids a paper template they can color, cut, fold, and assemble into an apple that stands up on its own.

It’s a fun choice when you want an apple activity that goes beyond a flat coloring page. Kids get to watch their apple take shape as they put the pieces together, with a stem and leaves added at the end.

This apple craft works well for fall, back-to-school time, or an apple-themed learning day. And since the printable provides all the pieces, you don’t need to draw or measure anything before getting started.

Who Is This Apple Craft For?

This 3D apple craft is best for elementary-aged kids who are comfortable using scissors and following folding instructions.

Besides being a fun fall craft, it gives kids practice with coloring, cutting, folding, and carefully lining up pieces.

Assembling the apple requires a little patience, making it a good hands-on project for kids who enjoy paper crafts and building things.

There is also one step that requires cutting a slit in the paper with a craft knife. An adult should complete this step for the child.

Supplies Needed

You’ll need:

• free printable apple template
• white cardstock or white paper (I tried both. Either will work, but cardstock is easier to assemble and makes a sturdier finished apple.)
• colored pencils, crayons, or markers
• scissors
• glue stick
• exacto or craft knife (for an adult to cut the slit)

How to Make a 3D Paper Apple

The 1 page template contains everything kids need to build the apple, including the apple sections, paste tabs, stem, and leaves.

It may look like an unusual collection of shapes when it’s flat, but folding and gluing the sections together transforms the printable into a three-dimensional apple in 6 steps.

Step 1 – Color the Apple Template

Begin by coloring the printable before cutting anything out.

Kids can make a traditional red apple with a brown stem and green leaves, a green Granny Smith-inspired apple, a yellow apple, or something completely imaginative.

Coloring first is much easier than trying to color the individual pieces after they’ve been cut out.

Step 2 – Cut Out the Apple Pieces

Cut around the outside edges of the apple template.

Be sure to keep the white tabs marked PASTE attached to the apple sections. The paste tabs are needed to connect the different sections when the apple is assembled, so kids should take their time when cutting around them.

Cut out the stem and leaf pieces as well.

Step 3 – Fold the Apple

Next, fold the template along the solid lines separating the different sections of the apple. Fold the paste tabs as well.

Making the folds before adding glue helps give the paper its 3D shape and makes the pieces easier to line up during assembly.

Step 4 – Cut the Slit for the Stem

The center of the apple has a marked slit where the stem and leaves will eventually be inserted. An adult should carefully cut along this line with an X-Acto or craft knife.

Place the printable on a protected cutting surface before making the cut.

Step 5 – Glue and Assemble the 3D Apple

Now it’s time to turn the flat paper template into an apple.

Work your way around the apple, applying glue to the tabs marked PASTE and attaching them to the neighboring sections. Line up the edges as closely as possible before pressing each glued tab into place.

I found it easiest to glue one section at a time and let each piece stick before moving on to the next.

Continue until all of the apple sections are connected and the 3D shape is complete.

Step 6 – Add the Stem and Leaves

Insert the stem and leaves into the slit at the top to finish the apple.

Kids will now have a freestanding 3D paper apple they can display with their other fall creations.

Ways to Use This Printable Apple Craft

This craft can be:

• a simple afternoon project
• an apple unit activity
• a fall craft
• a back-to-school craft
• a fruit-themed craft
• a homeschool art project

Kids could make several apples in different colors and compare their finished creations. Since each child chooses how to color the template, no two apples have to look exactly alike.

Download and Print

Ready to make your own paper apple? Fill out one of the forms below, and the printable 3D apple craft template will be emailed to you.

The PDF is one page and prints in black and white. Print the craft on white cardstock or printer paper.

Kids can then color the page, cut out the pieces, fold along the lines, and glue the tabs together following the instructions above.

More Apple Activities

Here are some more fun free printable apple themed activities for kids:

• apple word search and maze for 1st and 2nd graders
• apple crossword puzzle for 2nd and 3rd graders
• apple fill in word puzzle for upper elementary students

You can find more printable crafts for kids here.