How To: Front Yard Scarecrows

I thought I had this Guest Post scheduled, when I was getting caught up today, I realized that I didn’t.  Please welcome Karen to the site for the day and be sure to visit hers! ~Kelli

Front Yard Scarecrows: How to Make One

Once an old-world emblem and tool for entire farming communities that protected the fields in the farmer’s absence, the scarecrow has become one of the most popular and versatile harvest figures. A scarecrow can be scary or friendly. They share the season with scary ghouls and goblins that patrol garden crops in search of trespassers. They also stand (or sit) on common ground with more whimsical and magical creations such as yard elves and fairies that welcome in the season’s bounty.

The scarecrow or some version of it has existed in farming communities around the world for centuries. For example, The Russian field spirit polevoj passed from the forest to the field at midday and punished those he found doing damage to the crops.

In America the industrial revolution with its technological advances in farming equipment and techniques gave the scarecrow less field work to do. Even so, this valued farming character continued to be an important harvest symbol and by the 1800’s was being used for decoration as well as for practical purposes. Individual creative expression became more commonplace and the scarecrow took on a more ornamental and artistic nature.

With today’s increase of suburban and urban dwellings, this traditional folk art has found its way from the large crops and extended back yard gardens to the landscape of modern front yards and porches. Colorful and even flamboyant, the scarecrows we now see on display in these very public settings are designed to welcome friends in as much as they are intended to remind foes that the area they are approaching is being guarded.

Making a front yard scarecrow is something the whole family can do. Families can create a scarecrow that tells passersby who they are. The scarecrow’s theme can identify what the family is interested in. For example, a soccer family may want their scarecrow to look like a goalie, or midfielder. A family who enjoys science fiction may choose to build a space age scarecrow. Families can make more than one scarecrow; they can even create a series of them to represent individual family members. Mr. & Mrs. Scarecrow are quite popular as is a musical trio of scarecrows. Here are some scarecrow-making ideas:

• Basic structure: Often a “T” made of lengths of wood forms the backbone and arms. Other options include a broom handle, or baseball bat. The scarecrow can be standing, sitting, lounging in a lawn chair or mounted on the wall with twine and nail.
• Clothes: Pretty much any article of clothing that would have been discarded, including faded old blue jeans, outgrown party dresses, ties, Halloween costumes, scarves, gloves, and shoes.
• Stuffing: Wadded up newspaper (stuffed into plastic bags to keep dry), old plastic gallon-size milk container that can be put into pant legs and shirt arms.
• Basic structure: Can be standing with broom handle, baseball bat, or stick of wood as backbone, lounging in a lawn chair or mounted on the wall (twine and nail).
• Head and Face: A simple head can be made of a board with stapled on paper bag that has been decorated or a more complex paper-mache version with glitter, make-up and stickers can be used to create beautiful, comedic or harsh looking faces.
• Accessories and extras: Apply costume jewelry, a stuffed animal, an old baseball mitt, watering can, or even bedroom slippers. There’s no limit to what your scarecrow can be!

Karen Pierce Gonzalez is publisher of folkheartpress (www.folkheartpress.com) and author of Family Folktales: What Are Yours? and the soon to be released Family Folktales: Write Your Own Family Stories. Join her Folktale Conversation at http://folkheartpressblog.blogspot.com