Time needed: 45 minutes
How to make a scarecrow: dos, don’ts and creative ideas
The aim of a scarecrow is to do exactly as its name suggests: scare crows and other birds away from vegetable patches, crops and allotments. Here, we look at how to make a scarecrow using a traditional design and more alternative scarecrow ideas. We also explore the dos and don’ts of scarecrow-making, what materials to use and the important factors you must consider before you start.
As well as looming over allotments, it is also common to see scarecrows popping up in rural towns and villages as part of a scarecrow competition, often to raise money. This is a great way to bring the community together and encourage families to get creative.
4 things to think about before making a scarecrow
1. Reuse, reuse, reuse – The beauty of making a scarecrow is that you can put your old, pre-used items to good use protecting your well-maintained veggies. Everything you need to make a scarecrow can be reused and you shouldn’t need anything new. Old clothes, broom handles, twine you’ve already used in the garden, old CDs – they are all scarecrow gold. If you are in need of a particular item, ask a friend or head down to the charity shop.
2. Wildlife – Consider wildlife and habitats when making a scarecrow and be sure not to put anything in or on your scarecrow that could fall off and become harmful to animals, for example plastic filling or sharp objects.
3. Your neighbouring allotment plots – If you have an allotment surrounded by other plots, consider the aesthetic presence of your scarecrow and how it will go down with your neighbours.
4. Where will you put it? – Scarecrows should be placed near vulnerable plants on your vegetable patch but you must also remember that they will need to be moved to stay effective. Birds get used to scarecrows after a while and will not be put off by them forever.
Ingrid Perlstrom / EyeEm // Getty Images
How to make a simple scarecrow?
When thinking about how to make a scarecrow, it depends on your chosen design. Scarecrows can come in all shapes, sizes, characters, themes and appearances so deciding on what you want your end result to look like is the best place to start. Keep scrolling for a wealth of scarecrow ideas below.
Once you’ve got your scarecrow idea, split your design into five separate elements. This will help you decide what you will need for each step and how best to bring it together. We asked the National Allotment Society to talk us through how to make a scarecrow:
1. Start with the framework: Your scarecrow will need support to keep it upright. You can use old broom handles, branches and fence posts but watch out for rusty nails that could cause harm or splinters.
2. Move onto the fixings: Think about how you will attach the different parts of your scarecrow to one another. You can use garden twine, cable ties, thin wire, raffia or duct-tape. You can also use a hammer and nails.
3. What will the body look like? Any old piece of clothing can be used and stuffed with straw, twigs, plastic bags, shredded paper, or worn out fleece and netting from your allotment plot. You can also make a body out of plant pots, boxes or old bottles.
4. The all-important head: When it comes to adding a head to your scarecrow, painted plastic plant pots, water bottles, stuffed hessian sacks and old footballs are potential materials. Don’t forget to add a hat, too! An old colander looks great as a headpiece.
5. Accessories: Garnish your scarecrow with extra shiny, noisy things to help deter the birds. These could be old CDs, tin foil, bottle tops or tin cans. Don’t forget your imagination!
Scarecrow Face
This scarecrow face drawing project is great for really young artists as it’s very easy to draw. The face, hat and shirt are all made with just a few curved and straight lines so students can get to adding their own flourishes in no time.
A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin in the shape of a human, Wikipedia explains. It is usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds such as crows or sparrows from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.
The scarecrow is mostly a storybook figure these days, which most might connect to the United States. It actually has a history throughout Europe and other countries as well. It turns out that scarecrows have been in existence for more than 3,000 years, and even date back to the time of the pharaohs in Egypt!
This tutorial will show students how to focus on the scarecrow face, but leaves lots of room for customization. Patches on the hat, or pockets on the shirt will all add some extra fun, and then possibly some extra color. You can’t have too much of that in a fun fall drawing.
Why Draw with Guides?
You may have noticed that all of the tutorials on this website have a dashed vertical line and horizontal line running through the center of each step. If students make their own centered lines on their own paper, before drawing, they will have an easy reference to follow. All they need to do is fold their sheet of paper in half both ways, make a crease, and unfold. The best part is, by the time the drawing is done and colored in, the creases will have disappeared!
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