Farmers place scarecrows in open fields to discourage birds from feeding on growing plants and recently-cast seeds. These structures are used across the world in rice, maize, wheat, and many other farms. You can also build a scarecrow to decorate your yard. Below are helpful steps you can use to make a perfect scarecrow that will decorate and secure your garden against birds, sparrows, and crows.
Gather Supplies
First, you need to gather materials to construct the scarecrow. They include the following:
- Nails
- Old clothes
- Long wooden boards
- Straw
- Old hat
- Strings
Build the Frame
You should use two nails when building the frame of the scarecrow. You should place them slightly apart to prevent the cross frame from spinning. Finally, you should select a position near vulnerable plants and knock the frame into the ground using a hammer.
Put the Shirt On
You should use an old shirt to dress the scarecrow. The horizontal stick should be the arms of the structure. Use a string to tie around the bottom of the shirt tightly to give the structure a waistline. Also, tie off the sleeves of the shirt.
Stuff the Structure
The best stuffing material is straw. It is environmentally friendly. Additionally, when you use straw as the stuffing material, the shape of the scarecrow will not change during rainy seasons. You can also use the material to give the structure a potbelly.
Add Gloves
You can use gardening gloves to give the structure a realistic human form. However, you should stuff the gloves perfectly to keep them firm and in proper shape. It is advisable to tuck in the shirt sleeves’ ends inside the gloves.
Attach Stuffed Pants
First, you should stuff pants using straw to give them a realistic shape. Measure the height of the structure before stuffing the pants to align them. Attach the pants to the structure using suspenders. On either side, tie the suspenders through the belt loops. Tying a string around the frame and through the back belt loop will secure and make them stable. Ensure the pants are tightly tied at the bottom using a strong string, which keeps the stuffing material intact.
Add Shoes
An old pair of shoes or boots will finish off the lower part of the structure. Tie the boots onto the base of the pants to ensure that they are stable.
Make the Head
You can use a burlap sack, usually used to carry coffee beans or to protect trees, to make a perfect scarecrow head. If you do not have a burlap sack, you can use a pillowcase to make the head. The process of making a scarecrow head using a pillowcase involves:
- Fill the pillowcase halfway with the stuffing material of your choice, preferably straw.
- Use safety pins to pin the pillowcase, which prevents the stuffing material from falling out.
- Leave an opening at the bottom of the pillowcase.
- The next step includes inserting the stuffed pillowcase onto the vertical pole.
- Tie the bottom of the pillowcase to the pole to make a perfect scarecrow head.
Give the Structure a Personality by Adding Facial Features
You should decorate the face of the structure. You can put straw hair beneath an old hat. Lastly, you can use colored buttons for the mouth, nose, and eyes.
Conclusively, you can accessorize the scarecrow by tying a red bandana around its neck and leaving a colored handkerchief peeking out of the structure’s pocket.