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One of my favorite fall decorations is a scarecrow for my front porch.
Now I know you can pick up really cute, inexpensive scarecrows at your
craft shops. But nothing is more satisfying than using your creativity
making a personal expression of your family, for almost no money, than
making your own scarecrow! And it's not only easy, its a fun thing to
do with the kids as well.
What you will need:
- One shirt
- One pair of pants
- Hat
- Old white/cream/dark pillowcase for face, or scrap fabric
- Plastic shopping bags or old newspapers
- Safety Pins
- String or narrow rope
- Small amounts of straw, raffia, or dried grass
- Permanent markers or felt scraps for facial features
Button, zip or close the shirt and pants where necessary, tie ends of
shirt arms and pant legs closed with string or rope.
Stuff full with bags or newspaper.
Use safety pins to attach shirt to pants at waist.
Stuff pillowcase into size and shape of a face. Use a permanent marker
for facial features or glue cut out pieces of felt for the eyes and
mouth. Tuck into the neck opening of shirt, and secure with safety
pins. Pin on hat.
Stuff a little straw or raffia into the neck opening edges, and the
arm and leg openings. Glue in place if necessary.
Now that you have the basic scarecrow in place, consider the ways you
can make it personal! For years my kids each made one of themselves,
and we had a whole family of scarecrows (our family!) lining the
fence. You can vary the type of clothes from an old fashioned farmer,
to a clown, to a princess complete with tutu...what ever works for
your family. Insert flexible wire into the arms and legs before you
pin the body together for a pose able scarecrow. Make little kid
scarecrows, or a scarecrow to remind you of a dear friend or family
member.
Showcase your scarecrows on the front porch, sitting in a chair you
can see from the back window, standing watch over your entryway, or
perched in a windowbox, dangling his legs from the second story. Tip:
Wire or tie your scarecrow down if you live in an area where it can be
windy.
Kathy Wilson is a home and garden writer, author and consultant and is
the home decorating expert for LifetimeTV.com. Visit her for more home
and garden ideas at http://www.TheBudgetDecorator.com,
http://www.TheGardenGlove.com and http://www.TheBudgetChef.com. Also
visit her at http://www.Women-on-the-Net.com where any woman can learn
to make money on the internet!
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