How to Create Your Own Scarecrow

Making your own scarecrow is a fantastic way to get creative this season, and if you have children, involve them in this fun project! Scarecrows are easy to make, and most of the time you can use items you already have on hand.

What you'll need:

• PVC pipe or large, sturdy stick to serve as the main frame

  
  

• wire hangers if you want bendable arms

  
  

• an old pair of jeans (a thrift store is the perfect place to find an inexpensive pair if you don't have any to use- you can even get a child's size if you'd like to create a smaller scarecrow)

• an old plaid shirt

• burlap, a scrap piece of fabric, or an old cream/white/ dark pillowcase for the face

• straw or raffia (you can usually easily find either at a craft store at this time of the year, or we have straw bales, but you won't need a lot)

• safety pins

• markers, felt, or paint to draw on a face

• string

• several grocery bags

• hot glue gun

  
  

• straw hat, cowboy hat, fedora, or baseball hat (optional)

  
  

• accessories such as bandanas, garden gloves, or even a bow tie or hair ribbons (optional)

How to put your scarecrow together:

1. Consider how tall you want your scarecrow to be. Cut the dowels or PVC pipes to the right size for the body, arms, and base. If you want your scarecrow to sit, you'll only need a dowel for the body and possibly the arms. You can also use wire hangers for the arms to allow them to bend and be flexible.

   
   

2. Button/ close the shirt and pants over the PVC pipe or dowels. Tie each of the sleeve ends and pants ends with pieces of string.

   
   

3. Stuff the clothing that is now tied off with your grocery bags.

   
   

4. Use safety pins to attach the shirt to the pants. You can hot glue raffia/ straw to cover the safety pins.

   
   

5. Stuff the burlap/fabric/ old pillowcase for the face. Draw a personalized face using markers or paint.

   
   

6. Add straw or raffia for hair, have it stick out of the clothes, in a pocket, etc.

   
   

7. Add accessories! Hot glue patches on the pants, add a bandana, garden gloves, pitchfork, hat- anything that makes your scarecrow unique.

To celebrate Autumn, we are throwing a Fall Scarecrow Contest! Submit your scarecrow by October 23rd - one person will win an amazing prize of a $150 gift certificate to the nursery!