Scarecrow Making 101

Tons--I mean one person asked me if I made my scarecrow so I thought I'd share b/c he is easy to make and fairly inexpensive. Here's what you need:

4 large terra cotta flower pots (I didn't measure mine so I'm not sure how big they are but I got them at Hobby Lobby)
a straw hat (I got one at Michael's this year for a little over a buck)
Raffia (probably about three bags of it) I got mine at Walmart b/c it's cheaper there than HL
paint -- green, black, white and a skin color or a terra cotta color (I used the cheap acrylic paint in Kelly green)
some plaid fabric (1 yard)
a needle and thread (or if you're super fancy bust out your sewing machine)
a hot glue gun

Let me first say that I did not invent this scarecrow. I totally copied Clayton's Aunt Susan about 3-4 years ago. And hers is much prettier than mine b/c her friend Lynn painted her face and she also makes porcelain dolls and is super gifted! Also, I can't remember if hers is exactly like mine b/c I just kinda scketched what her face looked like and winged the rest.

Now up until this year my scarecrow was a man. This year he had to be remade b/c he had spent too much time in the elements (sun, rain, wind). I really loved the fabric I had him in and I didn't have quite enough to make him again in that fabric so I just made him into a girl this year. Her arms are quite skinnier (b/c of lack of fabric) and I added her some eyelashes this year.

So to start off paint 3 of your 4 flower pots solid green. The bottom two will have nothing on them except green. Set your bottom one upside down and the next one on top of it right-side up. (Does that make sense?) On your 3rd green pot turn it upside down and paint three buttons on it. Also on this pot in the upper right-hand corner you need to cut out some fabric in the shape of a U for the pocket. It makes it super cute if you have pinking shears to cut your fabric with. I borrow my MIL's the first time I made it but this time I just used regular old scissors b/c have you priced pinking shears or any fabric scissors for that matter lately? Outrageous and totally not worth the $ if you don't sew, like me. Use your hot glue gun around the edges to attach your fabric pocket and then stuff it with some raffia.

To make your arms just cut your fabric out at desired width and stitch it together. If you have a sewing machine and know how to use it you can make quick work of this step. Or if you're like me you can just use a needle and thread and do it by hand. Even if you have never sewn a button on before you can do this. The first time I made him I didn't even know you had to turn your fabric inside out after you sewed it so you couldn't see the thread and it was still cute. The key here is it is a scarecrow. Farmers use them to keep crows from eating their corn. And when I was making mine this year William exclaimed when I told him I was making a scarecrow, "but mama, we don't have any corn!" What I mean is it doesn't have to be perfect! After you sew a little stitch down your arm take an old magazine and wad up some pages and stuff them in your sleeve. This will make it look like it's stuffed with hay but old magazine paper is much cheaper! Leave some room up top and a little at the bottom. The top will lay at the top of your 3rd green pot and you will hot glue it on each side. Take a handful of raffia and stuff it in the bottom of the sleeve so it appears the whole sleeve is stuffed of hay and tie a piece of raffia around the bottom to hold it in place.

You'll need about 7 pieces of fabric for your belt loops. Make your belt by just taking a bunch of raffia and tying it in a knot around where the 2nd and 3rd pots meet. This is your scarecrow's waistline. After you get your belt in place take your hot glue gun and attach your belt loops all around your scarecrow's waistline. Don't worry if your belt's not perfect. If your raffia isn't long enough just add pieces all around to make you a belt and attach your belt loops to hold it in place.

On your 4th pot paint your face on. This doesn't have to be perfect either. Just wing it. It will turn out cuter than you think. Sit your pot on top of the 3rd green pot and get ready to make some hair. You can either hot glue your hair directly on your pot which is what I did the first time I made it. But this time I made several bunches of hair (I don't know if you can tell that from the pics) and wrapped them with a single piece of raffia and then loosely sewed them into my straw hat so that next time I need to remake it I won't have to fight with the hot glue. It looks cute either way.

Now, I only put hair on the sides of my scarecrow b/c nobody can see the back from the street. But if you have a lot of time on your hands and some extra cash (b/c that raffia can get pricey depending on where you buy it) then you go right ahead and give your scarecrow a full head of hair all the way around it. For me the sides work just fine.

I attached my hat with some hot glue on the front and back where there was no hair. Here's a back view of the scarecrow.

And here's the front view finished product.

I just add a few mums and pumpkins around the bottom of mine and leave him there until I put up my Christmas decor. I usually get a lot of compliments on it. Now, Clayton's Aunt Susan said you can make a Santa like this as well but I haven't tried it out yet. I also haven't seen one done either and since I copied this idea I don't know that I could do Santa without seeing one. I'm thinking paint a black belt with buckle on his waistline and maybe some spackling for the beard? Maybe I'll try it out one year, but not this year. Happy scarecrow making everyone!