How to Make a Scarecrow

Nothing says Fall better then seeing a yard decorated with scarecrows. Scarecrows are easy to make, and really fun for children of all ages to enjoy. The best part about scarecrows is that they provide decorations for the entire Fall season. You can use them for Halloween, and Thanksgiving which saves money, and time. Making a scarecrow is simple, all you really need to do is use your imagination. Here are some tips to help get your creative juices flowing.

BODY:

The body structure is very important. First you will need to decide whether you want your scarecrow standing in the yard, or sitting on a chair. To make your scarecrow stand in a traditional manner you will need two poles. One pole will need to be longer, as you will need to burry it approximately a foot or so in the ground for support. If you do not have a longer pole, you can always use a small one and make a child scarecrow. The second pole needs to be attached to the first pole (like a cross), for the arms to hang on. You can either hang your scarecrow in a tradition fashion, or dress it using the poles as bones. Keep in mind when dressing it using the poles as bones, you will need to put the pants on and stuff them before you attach the pole for the arms.

DRESSING YOUR SCARECROW:

Dressing a scarecrow is easy. You can use old clothes that you already own, or buy some second hand. You will need a pair of baggy pants, a large long sleeve shirt, and a hat. If you want to get really creative you can make a girl scarecrow by using a long length dress. To make the dress look full, place trash bags filled with newspapers under the skirt. Next pull the skirt under the bag and secure with tape.

YOUR SCARECROW NEEDS STUFFING:

You can easily stuff your scarecrow with newspaper. Use cord or even yarn to tie off the sleeves and pant legs so that the stuffing doesn't fall out. If you have hay, hay is a traditional way to stuff a scarecrow, and looks great. You can also use pine needles or hay to poke around the sleeves, pants, and neck even if it is stuffed with newspaper.

THE FACE:

There are plenty of things you can make a face with. You can use a pumpkin (plastic works best), or make your own. To make your own all you need is some paint, and tan cloth. Burlap works the best, but if you don't have any you can use other fabrics. Make sure you stuff your head as full as you can. A simple way to make a no-sew sack with fabric is to cut out a large circle. Next pull the outside corners up, to create a bag, and carefully stuff. Using a piece of cord, or yarn, tie the bag shut. Finally straighten out the wrinkles on one side of the bag, and paint your face on it.

EXTRA TIPS:

Why stop at one scarecrow, when you can make a whole family. Making a family portrait scarecrow family is fun. Use old clothes from each family members closet, and try to keep the scarecrow the same size as the person.

Your scarecrow doesn't have to stand. You can make him sitting in a chair by just stuffing the clothes, and tying him to the chair with fishing line. This works great if you live in an apartment. You can also have him sitting on a bale of hay, or sitting Indian style on the lawn.

Want you scarecrow to look fun and silly? Add some patchwork to his clothes using old scraps of fabric. There is no need to sew the patches on, you can use glue instead.

Why not as crows to the mix? You can find fake crows at any craft store. Add a few to your scarecrows shoulders or on top of his hat.

Making scarecrows is fun, and once you get started it's hard to stop. Before you know it you'll have a new family tradition that you'll enjoy for years to come. Just make sure you don't need the items you are using, the outdoors will damage them. Have fun making your scarecrow, and remember to take some pictures for the scrapbook.