Build a Scarecrow
Meaford, Ontario is famous for its annual Scarecrow Invasion each fall. But you don’t have to live there—or even have a garden—to build one. Here’s how Marilyn Morris, Meaford’s festival chair, teaches people to do it.
Materials Needed:
- Plastic bags—six sleeve-type bags (designed to protect newspaper), for arms and legs; one grocery bag, for head; one garbage bag, for body
Additional plastic shopping bags and newspaper, for stuffing - One 24- to 26-inch-long 1 x 1 wood piece, for spine
- 24-inch length of recycled garden hose, for shoulders
- One 24-inch x 24-inch piece of orange plastic or orange fabric, for head
- Two wooden skewers, for hat holders
- Masking tape
- Jute string
- Glue gun and glue sticks
- Staple gun
- Clothing—pants, belt (optional), shirt and hat
- Scrap of fabric for covering shoulders and neck
- Black permanent marker
- Decorations such as bird, raffia, etc.
Directions:
1. Stuff plastic bags for arms, legs and head with newspaper. Tape end of arms and legs shut.
2. Insert two stuffed bags for legs into each leg of pants. Tie bottom of pant legs shut with jute string. 
3. Insert one end of wood piece for spine into open end of stuffed bag for scarecrow’s head. Tie opening closed with jute string and tape securely. 
4. Cover head with orange plastic or fabric. Tie or tape covering to spine. 
5. Place spine with attached head into back of pants and staple end of spine to pants.6. Stuff plastic garbage bag for body. Tape end shut. With taped end at the top, place stuffed body into top of pants in front of spine. Fasten top of body securely to spine.
7. Wrap shoulder/neck fabric around spine where head is joined. Tie or staple fabric to spine.
8. Center length of garden hose inside shoulder area of shirt. Place a stuffed plastic bag inside each arm of shirt.
9. Place shirt around stuffed body and spine of scarecrow. Add extra recycled plastic bags for stuffing if needed. Button shirt and tuck shirt into top of pants.
10. Add belt or tie jute string around top of pants.
11. Place hat on top of scarecrow’s head. Secure hat with two skewers.
12. Use marker to add eyes, nose and mouth.
13. Glue decorations to scarecrow as desired.
14. Add more stuffing as needed and secure any loose items.