Make a Scarecrow

Need a way to scare the crows out of your garden? Or maybe you don't have a garden, but it's Autumn and you're not one to pass up a Fall dating idea when you see it.

Perhaps you and your date will make a scarecrow with classic scarecrow looks, but than again, maybe you'll want your scarecrow to look a bit gothic or to stand on an old surfboard or on a pair of skiis. With a few props and some old clothes, you will be able to make a great scarecrow. It will delight people who walk by, and it's an activity where you and your date get to create something together.

After completing your scarecrow, why not rent the Wizard of OZ?

COST

Free to $15.00 or $20.00. If you do need to shop, thrift shops and rummage sales are preferable to L.L. Bean or Calvin Klein.

HOW TO MAKE A SCARECROW

THE FRAMEWORK—If you want your scarecrow to stand, you will need to give him a skeleton or framework. The skeleton can be made up of two wooden strips (one by two inches). One strip should be approximately six feet long, the other three feet. You can also use a broom stick for the longer upright piece. The bristle part becomes the head of the scarecrow.

Attach the strips together to form a cross. You can nail them together, or use twine, rope or duct tape to bind them together. Make sure that the arms aren't too long for the shirt you will be putting over them. (If you don't have wood for the frame, it is fine to substitute pipe or anything else that you think might work.)

GIVING HIM A GOOD HEAD—There are many items you can make the head out of: a pillowcase, a nylon stocking, a carved pumpkin, a latex or rubber mask, or a styrofoam wig head to name a few. If you are using a pillowcase, stuff the case with fiberfill and fold and pin it into the shape of a head. Then tie it onto the frame. Paint the face using acrylic paint or permanent marker. If you are using a nylon, stuff the nylon with fiberfill and attach it to the frame. If you are using a mask for the face, stuff something like a nylon stocking with fiberfill and then put the mask over it. This will help the mask keep it's shape. If you use a pumpkin for the head, carve it out and give it a face. Since the pumpkin will weigh a lot, you will need to add an additional support.

STUFF HIM FULL—You can use straw or hay for stuffing the scarecrow. If you get the hay from a feed lot, remember that a bale of hay will go a long way. You can also use leaves, grass, wadded-up fabric or even newspaper. If your scarecrow will get wet, avoid the newspaper or fabric for stuffing; hay would be best.

SHIRT AND HANDS—Put the shirt on over the framework and button it up. Gloves work well for the hands. You can stuff them with fiberfill and attach them to the frame. Use string or thread to tie the shirt and gloves together. Stuff the shirt and gloves first, then the arms, and the rest of the chest area next.

LEGS—Put the pants on as if you were dressing a one-legged man. You'll want to leave enough of the frame sticking out from the pants leg in order to stake the scarecrow into the ground. Tie the bottoms of the pants legs and fill them with straw or whatever filling you want to use. As the stuffing fills the legs of the pants, tuck the shirt in and keep stuffing the pants until they are full. Button and zip up the pants. You'll probably need to tie a rope around the waist to act like a belt, or else stitch the shirt and pants together.

HAT AND SHOES—Sew a hat onto the head of your scarecrow. Add hair, yarn, or any kind of wig before sewing on the hat. Also add a scarf or bandana. If you have an old pair of shoes to spare, tuck the bottom of the pants into them once your scarecrow is staked up.

DISPLAYING YOUR SCARECROW

Dig a hole in the ground, stick the bottom of the frame into it and pack dirt around it. If your scarecrow is too wobbly to stay up, add additional wood supports behind it.

SCARECROW 101

Here are some websites that will tell you all ever wanted to know about scarecrows and how to build them:
www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/kids/scarecrow/scarecrow.htm
www.maleny.net.au/scarecrow/guide.html