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Have you ever heard of the 'build a scarecrow' day? Most probably not, but it does exist! And it's celebrated on the 1st Sunday of July, which is the 4th of July this year (2021).
I was bored out of my mind a few days ago and googled for special days in July to get some inspiration for a new blog post and this came up. Let me tell you, I was really excited because right now I'm super invested in the Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town game so this turned out to be a very pleasant discovery.
So in this post, I'll be showing you how to build a scarecrow. Well, not a real one since I don't own a farm (though I wish I did). I'll be making a cute little Popsicle scarecrow.
What you need:
2 Popsicle sticks
Scrap paper
Cardboard / Corrugated board
Yarn
Step 1: The skeleton
To make the body of the scarecrow I will be placing two Popsicles in the shape of a cross and securing them using a rubber band. You can use a string of yarn or a similar substitute for this.
Step 2: Preparing the head
Wrap strips of scrap paper around one end of a Popsicle stick. Keep doing so until it looks like a lollipop. Mind you it doesn't have to look perfect since scarecrows are usually very patchy and sorry-looking. Make sure to secure the strips with some glue so that it does not unwrap as you go. Also, don't attach it directly onto the stick just yet because you'll have to pop it off later on when dressing it up.
Step 3: Making the hat
I'm using corrugated paper to make the hat so that it gives the scarecrow a more rustic look. I got a circle that's larger than the scarecrows head and from it I've cut out another circle that's slightly smaller that the head. In addition to that, I've taken a strip that can go around the circumference of the smaller circle. The width of the strip depends on how high you want the hat to be.
Stick the edges of the strip together to make a cylindrical shape and make short cuts along both of its edges. The flaps on one edge should be bent inward while the other flaps on the other edge are bent outward. These will act as glue tabs to paste on the circles.
Step 4: Adding hair
Cut as many pieces of yarn as you want for the scarecrows hair. The length depends on your preference and if it's too long you can trim it off later on. I'd like mine to have shoulder length hair so I'm going for 3.5cm strands. I've loosened out the braided yarn to get strands that look like wavy hair.
Rather than sticking the hair directly onto the scarecrows head I've stuck it into the hat. I felt that it was much easier to spread the hair out evenly this way.
Once that's done you can flip it onto the scarecrows head.
Step 5: Dress up
For the dress, I simply took a piece of paper, folded it in half, and cut the shape of a dress with a hole for its neck.
You can pop the head off, put the dress on, fasten the edges, and pop the head back on.
Step 6: Final touch
Finally, you can add the eyes and a mouth to give life to the little thing. Maybe give it a name as well! I'll call mine Mr. Scrappers. I've added a small scarf from a piece of scrap cloth I took from one of moms sewing expeditions. And we're done!
Doesn't this miniature scarecrow look super cute?
If you're a mom or a kindergarten teacher, this would be a great craft activity to have your kids indulge in!