Making mini-scarecrows - and why I shouldn't have listened to my mother

To be honest, I really don't need a scarecrow, but they make a veg patch slightly more interesting. Also, they're cheap to make and keep children occupied for the best part of an hour, so what's not to love?

I write as though I am a scarecrow aficionado, but actually, before yesterday, I'd never made one before. As usual in these situations, I perused the internet for hints and tips. In particular I was keen to know what I could stuff the thing with as I've no spare straw bales kicking around.

And here's the good news. Old plastic bags apparently make ideal, weatherproof stuffing material.

I'm always looking for ways to reuse these and ease my guilt. I try not to bring any home, but somehow they keep appearing, sneaking in when my back is turned. I have looked online for ways to reuse and recycle, but have yet to weave a plastic rug or braided dog leash (yes, these are serious suggestions). In fact I've really found little other use for a plastic bag than as, well... a bag.

But here's the annoying thing. I cleared out all but a handful only a fortnight ago. That'll teach me to listen to my mother. She's been complaining for weeks about the state of my kitchen 'store all' cupboard which was taken over by these things. And, as my mother cleans like Anthea Turner on steroids, I do inevitably bow to her greater wisdom on these matters. So, I'm afraid my plastic bag stuffing only got as far as the head...

Still, the scarecrow did make use of various other random pieces of detritus from around the house.

First I used some material offcuts to make the face (although this could just as easily be done with an old pillowcase and permannt markers)

I made the framework by nailing together a piece of floorboard offcut and a leftover branch of my mother-in-laws Christmas tree - both hiding in the log store

I was going for a mini-scarecrow so we used an old pair of baby dungarees and a T-shirt of Archie's that will never recover from banana-based weaning mayhem. The dungarees usefully have poppers at the base making it easy to push the central pole through them.

The legs were tied at the base with some string and then stuffed with newspaper (you can also use straw, old leaves or, wait for it, plastic bags - if you have them...)

Then we slipped the t-shirt onto the frame and into the dungarees, tying it at the end of the sleeves, and carried on stuffing

Finally the head was stuffed, put on top of the central pole and tied around the neck. I sewed the old hat on, to make sure it didn't blow away. We even added a jaunty neckerchief

Now it's finished I think we might have accidentally done a good job. Despite the fact I was going for 'cute', I think we've ended up with something that will actually frighten off almost anything.

It's vaguely reminiscent of the scene in ET when a very young Drew Barrymore dresses up the visiting alien. It might have helped if I'd added hair but unfortunately I had no wool. I did consider using the purple wig from the children's dressing up box - a surviving reminder of my hen night in Brighton - but the idea is only to frighten the birds, not put them in therapy.

Perhaps I should send one to Mr Colborn (scarecrow, that is, not purple wig) - this may well be the answer to his wood pigeon woes...

Comments

You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

Fantastic - I want one!

Posted by: Helen/patientgardener | April 03, 2009 at 12:23 PM

Have you ever seen a film called Magic? Anthony Hopkins and a ventriloquist's dummy.
Very, very sinister but even that is not quite as disquieting as your scarecrow.

Posted by: JamesA-S | April 04, 2009 at 12:01 PM

Thank you for the encouragement Helen!

James - you are, I'm afraid correct. I have never seen the film, but as I was planting out sweet peas this morning, I got the distinct impression I was being watched...

Posted by: Dawn Isaac | April 04, 2009 at 03:18 PM

It's a cool scarecrow. I've just unstuffed last years scarecrow (pics on my blog somewhere. It had become weathered and rotten, I've put the straw innards in my compost bin.

I think Owen will be begging me to make another. I only have one years experience in scarecrow making but I won't make the mistake of doing the straw stuffing in the living room again!

Posted by: Rhiannon | April 04, 2009 at 09:00 PM