Ideas and simple directions for a one of a kind scarecrow made by children. Want a different looking scarecrow? Have a scarecrow crafting party or a competition.
Fall is here at long last and what would be so fun as diving into a huge pile of fall leaves? How about a trip to the pumpkin patch? Decorating with bouquets of colorful leaves? Have you ever built a scarecrow? This can be a family affair or a classroom project or your own personal work of art.
Planning Your Scarecrow
Stop and think what you want your scarecrow to look like. What do you want him to look like?
- An old Farmer?
- A farmer’s wife?
- A child?
- An animal?
- A character in a story or a movie?
How do you want him dressed?
- A dress and apron?
- Overalls and an old work shirt?
- Pants and a coat?
- Cowboy hat?
- Straw hat?
- Cowboy attire?
- A sombrero?
- An old evening gown?
- Bath robe?
What You Will Need
A big question is what old clothes and what supplies you have available. Gather up the things you will need including
- Hay
- Boards and sticks for back support and arms
- A bag or pillowcase for the head
- Old clothing
- An old straw or cloth hat
- A bandana
- Hay for stuffing
- Rope and string
- Fall colored leaves
How about using the remains of an old play wardrobe or costume?
- An old cowboy vest?
- A knight’s costume?
- An apron?
- Suspenders?
- A carpenter’s belt?
- A ball cap?
- Gardener's straw hat?
- A turban?
- Hard hat?
- Burlap bag clothes?
- Hobby store feathers?
He might be dressed in an old bath robe or an old suit coat, slacks, and a tie. Use your imagination.
Set Up Your Display
Plan and set up a display for your scarecrow. Dig a post hole for the scarecrow that you will set him up in. You can set him up on a porch swing, a park bench, a lawn chair, or on a bale of hay. Decorate around him with pumpkins , Indian corn, squash, and shocks of corn stalks.
Building the Scarecrow
- Gather all your supplies for your scarecrow into the place where you plan to set it up.
- Place your pole into a hole.
- Pack the pants full of hay.
- Run rope through the belt loops and around the pole for support.
- Tie ropes in a knot around the ankles to keep the hay in. (Some should stick out.)
- Run a broom stick, board, or stick about a yard long through the sleeves of the shirt.
- Lower the shirt with the stick through it down over the back brace post or board.
- Stuff the sleeves and the shirt with more hay. (Pack it full and then a little more since it will mash up some.)
- Tie ropes at the wrists.
- Tuck the shirt into the pants or skirt waist. (If you use a tunic, skirt, or robe you will have to baste with big stitches along the bottom or tie it off somehow to hold in the hay.)
The Head and Hat
- Make a head by packing hay into a cloth bag like an old pillow case.
- Draw on a face with permanent marker or sew face on with pieces of felt or colored cloth.
- Tie the head when full of hay with string or cord. Attach it to the top of the post by pulling it down onto the top of the post and tying more string or wire if needed around the “neck.”
Finishing Touches with Class
Add fun things like gardening gloves, a bucket or basket, a cape, a rake or hoe, a cheap gardening trowel, sun bonnet, or other fun hat, a silk flower for the buttonhole or hat, or other decorations.
Make yours is a scarecrow people stop to see and laugh at. Make him something to talk about!
Competition Ideas
Why not hold a competition with neighbors, other students, groups, or club members to see who can build the best scarecrow? If you have enough entries you can give awards made of paper plates and torn strips of cloth for classical scarecrow, funniest, most mysterious, best dressed, most likely to succeed (scariest), etc.
A Scarecrow Crafting Fall Party
Have a scarecrow crafting fall party. gather all the parts and at the party let everyone take part in building the scarecrow and arranging the setting. Serve apple cider punch and cupcakes decorated with pumpkin candies or candy corn. Caramel apples are fun to make and eat. How about popcorn balls for refreshments?
However you make it, building a scarecrow can be great fun, and is a yard and garden decoration that says you love fall and fun. Be sure to snap some pictures of your work of art!
