How to Make a Rustic Scarecrow

A rustic scarecrow gives a country, down-home feel to a porch or yard.

Scarecrows were originally intended to scare birds away from crops. However, they have become a staple of fall and Halloween decorating. If you want to make a quick and easy scarecrow with a quaint, rustic feel, you can easily find the materials around your house. Then, decorate your scarecrow and set him--or her--out in the yard to give your house an instantly seasonal feel.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Two scraps of wood--one longer than the other
• Nail
• Hammer
• Muslin bag
• 2 cup hooks
• Shirt
• Pants
• Hat
• Permanent markers
• Newspaper (optional)

1. A traditional scarecrow face works better than an elaborate rendition.

   Draw a face on one side of the muslin bag. You can use the permanent markers. You can make the face simple or elaborate, but make the features bold so that viewers know what they are looking at.

2. Nail the two pieces of wood together to form a cross. The shorter piece should make the "arms" and the longer piece will be the neck and body.

3. Tie the muslin sack onto the neck. Most sacks like this have a drawstring that you can draw closed to hold the sack in place. Make sure that the face is clearly visible as this will determine the front and the back of the scarecrow. If you are having trouble making the head stay in place, stuff the bag with loosely crumpled newspaper to give the head more shape.

4. You will need clothes that are the right "size" for your scarecrow. If he is only two feet high, use children's clothes rather than adult sizes.

   Dress the scarecrow. Cinch the pants around the middle of the larger stick and hang the shirt over the arms. Place the hat on the head. If you have trouble making the clothes keep their shape, then stuff them with newspaper as well.

5. Screw a cup hook into the end of each arm. This will enable your scarecrow to hold flower pots or other decorations.

6. Pound your scarecrow into the ground. Bury the bottom of the longer stick firmly in the ground.