How to Make Faux Sugared Fruits

For some reason this year I’ve been obsessed with spun cotton fruit ornaments and faux sugared fruits. I had picked up a bag of faux plastic fruit from the thrift store last summer and had them sitting in a bag until I found the inspiration to actually do something with them. When making faux sugared fruits was something I was interested in, the fact that I had these sitting in a box waiting to be used seemed like the best kind of coincidence! I had bought the entire bag for $2.99, and I already had the glitter, paint and glue on hand, so this was a really fun and low cost decor item to make that looks so pretty almost like they are frosted! Even though traditionally spun cotton and faux fruits use German glass glitter, I opted to use regular old super clear and sparkly glitter. It has the same effect with out having to deal with glass glitter or buy something extra not found int he craft store. You can also watch the video that goes along with this post to see some of the process.

Gather Your Supplies to Make Faux Sugared Fruits

Faux fruit

Mod Podge (or white craft glue)

Water

Small container

Clear, sparkly glitter

Metal Rack or surface to let fruit dry on

Gold craft paint

Paint brush

Eye and respiratory protection

Paint The Fruit with a Coat of Gold Paint

I really wanted my faux sugared fruit to look old world. The colors on mine were a little bright, so I decided to tone it down with a thin coat of gold craft paint brushed all over the surface of the fruit. Once the gold paint it dry the fruit is ready for a glue coat.

Add the Glue Coat to the Fruit

Using Mod Podge or white craft glue, add just enough water to the glue in a separate container until it has the consistency of thin pancake batter. This will help the glitter stick without being too clumpy.  I used a cookie cooling rack from the dollar store to place my fruit on after the glue coat was painted on that I only use for craft projects.

Sprinkle the Glitter on the Fruit

While the glue coat is still wet, sprinkle the glitter over the surface of fruit, turning it carefully. I added a piece of paper under my rack so I could collect the excess glitter and return it to the container. Once the entire surface is covered,  let it dry completely. Add more glue and glitter after it has dried otherwise it just ends up lifting wet glitter. Let the glue  and glitter dry overnight.

Tap off the Excess Glitter and Decorate!

Tap the glittered fruit gently to remove any excess glitter and display! These Make faux sugared fruits look so pretty clustered in a bowl together and have just the right amount of frosty sparkle! I had a vintage brass bowl that they looked so nice in and I placed a few sprigs of faux pine in the bowl with them. Make sure to keep these out of reach of pets or kiddos.