Friends of Westwood School
  • About FoWS
  • Our mission
  • Our meetings
  • Make a donation
  • 100 Club
  • Easyfundraising
  • Scarecrow Trails
    • Scarecrow Making Tips
    • Scarecrow Trail 2022
    • Scarecrow Trail 2021
    • Scarecrow Trail 2020
    • Scarecrow Trail 2019
    • Scarecrow Trail 2018
    • Scarecrow Trail 2017
    • Scarecrow Trail 2016
    • Scarecrow Trail 2015
    • Scarecrow Trail 2014
    • Scarecrow Trail 2013
    • Scarecrow Trail 2012
  • Return to School Website

Scarecrow Making Tips...

Picture
Thank you for agreeing to make  a scarecrow. So you've decided which scarecrow you're going to make, but how are  you going to do it?? 
Here we've put together some useful tips & resources  we've picked up over the last few years of scarecrow making in Westwood. We hope 
you find it useful, and if you have any other useful tips you wish to share,  please let us know. Have fun...!

Building your scarecrow…  you can create  the body shape with chicken  wire and/or paper mache which can look very  good, but can also be time  consuming. Alternatively (depending on who your  scarecrow is) you can sew the  clothes together and stuff the whole  thing.  It’s a good idea to fill it  with plastic bags, bubble wrap  or empty  drinks bottles  that won’t go soggy in the rain. 
For large  areas like the chest you can  seal a cardboard box in bin bags to make it water tight. Another  alternative is to use the traditional scarecrow stuffing  of  straw.    Old pool noodles   are great for arms and legs - poke some wire through them so you can mould them in to shape.  Wire baskets make great waists / frames for skirts.    Staple  accessories to the frame or use string or florist  wire to attach the securely.

Dressing your  scarecrow…  think about what your scarecrow will wear,  it  will need to be dressed appropriately so people can work out who it 
is.  If  you don’t have the right clothes, it’s worth searching the  following for  cheap/free clothing, fabrics & props: charity shops,  ebay, local freecycle/freegle groups,  scrapstore  and charity shop rag bags.  
Please also bear in mind that  whatever you  use will be left out in all weathers so you may not want to wear  the  clothes after!

Scarecrow  details…  the head can be as simple as a football in an  old  sheet with a face drawn on and wool glued on for hair; hands can be 
created  using rubber gloves; find an old pair of boots/shoes for the feet  (although they  may fill up with water if it  rains).  Raffia can be brought in different colours for hair.   Paint,  sharpie pens, buttons and pipecleaners all make for great faces.

Supporting your  scarecrow…   will it  be sat on a chair, tied to a  post/fence/tree, or sat on the ground? They look  better if supported  somehow and this is worth thinking about and discussing with  the host of  your scarecrow in advance. Using a garden parasol base can be a good way to support it.

Props for your  scarecrow…  it’s not always obvious from the  scarecrow  itself  who they are meant to be, so feel free to add props to give people  a bit of a helping hand.

Weather-proofing your  scarecrow…   it’s very important to make your  scarecrow  as weather-proof as possible!  If you’ve used paper mache it’s a  good  idea to coat it with waterproof paint or a varnish.  A  scarecrow  stuffed with plastic bags or built using chicken wire will be  more robust in the  wind/rain.

Need  more ideas?...    see the scarecrows we've made in previous years : here
You  can  also get lots more tips online all about making and  weather-proofing  scarecrows.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.