Scarecrow Craft that is easy for kids to make

This is a fun craft to do in the fall.  It is a lot of preparation, but most of the assembly can be done by a young child.  I like to do it in October when we read "The Little Old Lady that is not Afraid of Anything"

Instructions to Make Scarecrow

Materials to make 1 scarecrow:  Lunch bag, newspaper, paint, 4 pipe cleaners (cut 2 in half), one 5 gallon size paint stir stick (free from most hardware stores). 2 large pieces of paper 17” x 20”, masking tape, fabric for clothes.

Most of the following steps can be done by preschool or older children.  You may need to help one at a time to hold the scarecrow together as he/she tapes or twists on the pipe cleaners on.

 

1.  Precut the shirt, pants and hat for the children.  Also precut 2 pipe cleaners in half (for the 2 wrists and 2 ankles)

2.  First have the children ball up pieces of newspaper and put them in an open brown lunch bag.  Fill until the shape of a circle.  Twist a large pipe cleaner around the bottom.  Hold onto the bottom and paint the bag orange.  Set aside to dry.  After it is dry use paint or sharpie to make the face.  A small triangle cut from a foam sticker stuck to the end of an unsharpened pencil makes a great paint stamp.

3.  Cut fringe on the short side of the 17” x 20” paper.  Seen in picture is a large grocery bag opened up and cut into 2 pieces.  You could also use bulletin board paper or news paper.  If the children are snipping their own paper, have them fold the paper in half (or 4th for bulletin board paper) first so that it is not so much to cut.

4.  Loosely roll each piece of paper and twist the roll to help is stay formed.  Cross both pieces on the paint stick and tape with masking tape.  It is fine to have the kids help with the taping, it will be covered anyways.  The arms should be slightly shorter than the legs.

5.  See the attached pattern to precut the shirt.  Any color, style or print fabric looks fine.  I always use scrapes I have.  If you are going to go out and but fabric, a small checkered print looks nice. Pull the shirt over the stick.  Show the child how to twist the pipe cleaner at the wrist.  Twist a small pipe cleaner on both arms.

6.  Pants can be cut from an old pair of pants.  You can get several small pair of pants from one pair, depending on if a child’s or adults pants.  Children’s or skinny adult pants work best.  The pants should be about 9” tall.  Cut a split in the center about 6” up.  You could also cut the pants from fabric (see pattern attached.  Slide the pants up from the bottom.  Use a large pipe cleaner to twist securely at waist 

      to hold up pants and secure bottom of shirt.

7.  Secure each leg at the ankle with a small pipe cleaner.

8.  Open up the pipe cleaner on the head and slide the stick up into the paper bag in the back of the newspaper.  Tightly twist the pipe cleaner to secure the head.

9.  Heavy fabric works best for the hat.  A stiff felt, heavy backing, or burlap 

      work well.  Pinch the hat together on either side and staple from behind.  Use hot glue gun (adults only) or glue dots to secure the hat.  A stapler also works, although tricky to pinch the paper bag.

CLICK HERE to download the instruction sheet and pattern