3"�?" wood or papier-mâché fruit
9" square of cotton velveteen per fruit
1/2" of 2"-wide brown velvet ribbon, 1 3/4" thin wire and small binder clip for stem
Green seed beads and 28-gauge wire (or artificial leaf)
Tacky glue; paintbrush; small, sharp scissors

COVER: Brush a thin, even coat of glue on fruit. Center fruit on its side on back of velveteen square pointing toward corners (fabric bias). Pull fabric around fruit to form a seam at back, pressing out bubbles and wrinkles. Trim obvious excess fabric from top, bottom and back seam but leave enough to cover fruit. Pull fabric into darts (folds) spaced fairly evenly around top and bottom. With scissors parallel to surface, cut off darts. Smooth cut area with fingertip. Trim back seam.

STEM: Brush glue on back of ribbon. Place wire along a side edge and roll ribbon tightly around it. Clip to hold until dry. Trim ends. Glue into top of fruit.

LEAVES: String 18" green beads on wire; leave on spool. Fold 1/4" end to hold beads. Push 16 beads up to front for center vein of leaf (line AB on Leaf Beading diagram, right). Wrap next 2" to 3" of wire around 2 fingers of left hand once to form loop, then working toward AB twist it around itself for 1/2", ending at B. (Loop is an anchor you can hold while working.) Push 17 beads up onto wire (C), twist once (across front to back to front) around wire at tip of leaf (A), push up 17 more beads (D), and twist as before around wire at base of leaf (B). Repeat for 4 or 5 more rounds, always adding 1 or 2 more beads to rows. Clip off all but 1/4" wire at B; fold end to back. Curve leaf slightly to back; glue to fruit.