Whether your scarecrow will be on display in your garden or simply greeting an Amazon delivery, you are sure to have fun and make memories creating it. (Photo by Leslie Milby)
Looking for a greeter for your doorstep or a guardian for your garden?.
Carving pumpkins might get much of the glory for fall crafting, but don’t forget about the fun of making a scarecrow.
Many of the supplies you’ll already have around your home to create the perfect scarecrow to keep pests out of your garden (but maybe not out of your home!)
You may be surprised to learn that scarecrows have been, well, scaring crows for a while. The term ‘scarecrow’ was first noted to be used in the 1719 classic “Robinson Crusoe” and their use was already quite widespread.
Egyptians would use them along the Nile River to protect their wheat, while Greeks would use them in their vineyards.
The United Kingdom also reverted to scarecrows after the Plague, as young children to throw rocks at pests were harder to find. They’ve also been used in different variations in Mexico, Japan, Africa and several other corners of the world.
While there are more modern ways to protect your garden, scarecrows can still be fun as decor or to serve their purpose.
To start your project, you will want to make your frame. Consider whether your scarecrow will be on your porch or steps and undercover or out in the yard. For the height of your scarecrow, you can use dowels, a 1” x 1” strip of wood or even your old broom handles, with a shorter piece to create arms. Removing hummingbird feeders from your shepherds hooks? Those can also be an easy support to use.
Make sure that if you plan to stake your scarecrow into the ground, you leave a bit of extra length to do so, as well as room for your head to go on. To attach arms, you can use nails, screws or zip ties or whatever else works best with your frame materials.
For stuffing, you can use traditional straw if you’d like, or just use the straw to accessorize if you don’t have much readily available. If your scarecrow will be under cover, you could stuff him with newspapers, packing paper and materials, old feed bags or anything else that has some bulk and can create volume. For an outdoor creation, you’ll want to use tougher materials, like traditional straw or even gathered leaves.
The clothing is where your scarecrow can shine! You can go with the traditional rustic with some jeans or overalls with a flannel shirt or you could reflect your families interests. Could they wear jerseys from your favorite football team, maybe holding a football or some pom poms? Are you creating two that can be husband and wife? Holding on to summer, dressed in hawaiian shirts with a tropical cup? Anything you could be for Halloween – something scary, a superhero, a movie character – chances are, your scarecrow could also pull off the look!
Just keep in mind that if the shirt of your scarecrow is not a button down, you may need to cut the back to fit your frame, not to mention the weathering, so don’t plan on using anything you’ll want to wear yourself again! While this may seem like the perfect time to retire your husband’s holey old shirt, do ask first.
Toddler clothes are also easy to use if you’d like to create a scarecrow sidekick. If you stuff the clothes tightly, it can even thwart having to use a frame if you tightly stuff. It’s also a more bitesize project to do with a little one for a cute result!
After your clothes are stuffed, tie the ends of the limbs using twine or other thick and weather resistant material. Fluff out some dangling straw pieces for an authentic look. You could also use zip ties for sealing and then do more decorative ties.
For hands and feet, use some old gloves and boots that go in theme. Or simply, let the straw overhang.
You’ll then want to top it off with the head, the most artistic piece in your build. You can use a pumpkin with a drawn on face for longevity, or a carved Jack O’ Lantern if you don’t mind swapping it out if Maryland weather decides to be tropical for fall. The longest faring option for the head is using a pillowcase or burlap sack that is stuffed until rounded and then drawing on a face.
If you are creating a scarecrow for their true purpose, scaring pests out of your garden, be sure to create movement to add to the illusion. Add a fun string of pennants or tie some streaming pieces from their long arms. You should also aim to make your guardian more oversize, with 6-7 feet in height to feel more intimidating to pests.
Move your scarecrow to its final placement and brace up from there. Consider a fence or a porch column if you need added support. In a garden, you could give your scarecrow a pitchfork or other long handled garden tool to lean against.
Whether your scarecrow will be on display in your garden or simply greeting an Amazon delivery, you are sure to have fun and make memories creating it!
