How to Make a Fall Scarecrow

Whether frightening, funny or friendly, a fall scarecrow adds a homey touch to any yard. Not only is this fall scarecrow easy to make, but it is inexpensive and a fun project to do with children.

Gather Scarecrow Materials

Here is a list of materials you will need to make your fall scarecrow:

Men's flannel shirt
Pair of adult-sized old blue jeans
Hat
Piece of burlap or a burlap bag
Five or six feet long two by four
Three feet long two by four
Rope
Plastic grocery bags
Fall leaves or hay
One or two nails

Gather Tools

You will need the following tools to make your scarecrow:

Hammer
Staple gun
Needle and thread
Permanent marker

Step One: Building the Frame

Nail the three foot long two by four to the longer piece in a cross pattern. Be sure to use a thick enough nail to go almost entirely through both pieces of wood. You don't want the nail to stick out of the back, but you want it to anchor the pieces together securely. It's okay if the small piece pivots a little, but if you like, you can use more than one nail to keep it from pivoting.

Step Two: Dressing Your Scarecrow

Pull the blue jeans onto the upright piece of wood by feeding the wood through one leg of the pants. Use the staple gun to fasten the jeans to the back of the wood at about waist height.

Put the shirt on the cross piece of wood by covering each side with a sleeve. The sleeves should drape off the ends of the wood. Button the shirt.

Tie pieces of rope around the ankles of the pants and around the wrists of the shirt. Tie a larger piece around the waist of the shirt.

Use the burlap to make a head. Sew a small bag on three sides that is approximately 12 inches wide by 18 inches long. The opening should be on one of the shorter sides, which will be the bottom. Stuff the head with a plastic grocery bag filled with fall leaves or hay. Once the head is stuffed, you can use the marker to draw a face on the scarecrow.

Place the opening of the head over the piece of wood that is sticking up out of the shirt. Tie a piece of rope around the neck to secure the head. You may have to use the staple gun to staple the head to the wood in the back for extra security.

Step Three: Stuffing the Scarecrow

Fill several plastic grocery bags with fall leaves or hay. The bags keep the leaves from getting wet and mildewed. Stuff the abdomen, chest and the empty pant leg with the filled bags. It helps if you use several loosely filled bags rather than a few over-filled ones. The smaller bags are easier to position to give your scarecrow correct proportions. Once the pants and shirt are stuffed, you may have to use the needle and thread to sew the pants to the shirt to keep them from sagging.

Step Four: Finishing Touches

Place the hat on the scarecrow's head. A straw hat looks nice, but scarecrows can wear any kind of hat that you have on hand. Tuck a dried flower in the hat brim.

If the shirt has a pocket, cut a piece of burlap to the size of a handkerchief and tuck it into the pocket. You can also cut a burlap patch to sew on the knee of the blue jeans.

Add gloves, a scarf, suspenders or boots if you like. Add any props that you can think of, such as a pitchfork or a fake crow.

Step Five: Displaying your Fall Scarecrow

Stand the scarecrow upright and force the bottom of the cross into the ground. It works best if you can put the scarecrow in a flower bed or someplace else where the soil is a little soft. You may have to tie the scarecrow to something sturdy. A porch railing or a small tree work well. If you don't have anything to anchor the scarecrow to, you can use an old mop handle. Push the mop handle into the soil until it is sturdy. Use the rope that is around the scarecrow's waist to tie the scarecrow to its anchor.