I’ve never attempted to build a scarecrow before but when I spotted on Facebook that a nearby farm shop was organising a community fundraising day to build a scarecrow and help raise funds for CalAid, I thought it sounded like fun. Family time together plus doing something for a good cause – what wasn’t to like? They were also collecting clothes for the refugees in the Calais jungle which was very handy as I’d just had a big clear-out.
Some of the donated clothes that weren’t going to be sent to the refugees had been laid out on a table and the girls had fun choosing what our scarecrow was going to wear. We made the head and arms out of a pair of tights stuffed with bubble wrap and attached it to a big stick. The next step was to stuff the clothes with straw and use string to tie them all together.
We soon discovered that the weight of the straw meant that the legs and body of our scarecrow kept sliding down the pole. We tried using string, or creating a “seat” for the scarecrow using bubble wrap, but soon realised that what we needed was some means of supporting the arms. We decided to go for the traditional approach of pushing a second stick through the arms and attached it across the top one which was much easier said than done! In hindsight I think perhaps it would have been much easier if we’d created the frame for the scarecrow first!
Having finally managed to secure our scarecrow to the sticks, it was time to create a face. Jessica had fun drawing the eyes, nose and mouth on to our scarecrow and decided that we were going to name her Lily.
We didn’t win the competition for best scarecrow but we certainly had a lot of fun making her and it was good to know that we were helping a good cause at the same time!
Well done on a great family effort. You definitely need to start with the frame next time. We are scarecrow experts, they are a bit of a thing in our village and we have made lots for bonfire parties. Having a chair to sit your scarecrow on often helps the support too. a great fundraising idea and I love the final mish mash of designs and colours.
Thank you for sharing with me on #CountryKids
Thanks Fiona – a chair sounds like a good plan and we will definitely start with the frame if we make another scarecrow!
Hi Louise, there can’t be much better ways to spend a few hours. Having fun and raising money for a good cause. Sophie looks like she could have a future in scarecrow making she looks so stuck in there! Lovely photos too.
xx
Thanks Debbie – Sophie was thoroughly enjoying herself! 🙂
Such a fabulous team effort and one you’ll all remember with fondness. Love that this was for such a great cause too!
This is such a lovely team effort and I’m in awe of your creative and clever result – what a wonderful cause too! I’m sure you’ll all remember this occasion with fondness for a long time.
Thanks Sarah – it was fun and lovely that it was in aid of a good cause too.
How good is your scarecrow? That’s amazing! I’ve never made one but love going to see them. #countrykids
Thanks Rachel – it was a lot of fun to make! 🙂
What a great family activity to do – looks like lots of fun – and a fantastic fund-raising exercise. I have never had the opportunity to make a scarecrow….it looks trickier than you think. Love Lily’s tight. Very colourful. #countrykids
Thanks Elizabeth – it was definitely trickier than we thought it would be! 🙂
Oh this looks like so much fun, I’m going to have a go at making one with the girls one day. I think you did really well to make it in the end if it didn’t quite go to plan!
Nat.x
Thanks Nat – I think it helped that hubby and I are both quite stubborn and were both determined to find a way to fix the scarecrow! 🙂
That looks like a lot of fun even if you didn’t win x
It was a lot of fun – we didn’t expect that we would win but we definitely had fun trying! 🙂
This looks like a fabulous family time. Everyone can join in and wonderful to be raising money too. She looks quite a character and taller than I imagined. It would be me changing the structure too. Hindsight. Wonderful thing. #CountryKids
Thanks Cheryl – she really was quite huge! Hindsight is a wonderful thing – at least we’ll know what to do next time! 🙂
We’ve never built a scarecrow and would love to try to build one too. This looks so much fun! Loving the photos of the girls, looks like they enjoyed it so much too 🙂 #countrykids
Thanks Dean – they had a lot of fun 🙂
Great activity, hat a lot of fun. Mine have never yet made a scarecrow, I must rectify that. Mich x #CountryKids
Thanks Michelle – it was a lot of fun 🙂
Ah I love this, and was I the only one who wanted to burst into a certain Frozen song reading the top line?? #CountryKids
Thanks Sherry – not at all, we were singing it with the word “scarecrow” on the way to the fundraising day! 🙂
Love this post, not only does it make me want to see the song from Frozen with scarecrow instead of snowman… its a great idea of something to do in half term.
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Thanks Sonia – we were singing the song with the word “scarecrow” all the way there! 🙂
what fabulous fun!
Thank you Becky, it certainly was! 🙂
Oh wow what an original idea for charity. It looks like such a fun activity to do with family, love it 🙂
Thank you – it was such a fun day and even better that it was for a good cause 🙂
What a great creation!
Thank you 🙂
I love seeing scarecrows out in villages as we drive through. Our own doesn’t do one. I’m impressed with yours – great for getting the whole family involved. #countrykids
Thanks Emma – we had a lot of fun making it 🙂
What a fab scarecrow…love the ra-ra skirt! We keep saying we’re going to make one for the allotment, must give it a go in the Spring #countrykids
Thank you – hope you have fun making one for the allotment if you get a chance to do so in Spring 🙂
We need one here as my trash bin is always being harrassed by either crow or seagulls! Lovely thing to do together =) #countrykids
Thanks Merlinda – it was a lot of fun 🙂
This is fab, what a lovely family activity! I have never made a scarecrow before though it looks much harder than I expected! #CountryKids
Thank you – it was harder than we thought too but lots of fun 🙂
This scarecrow is great! It would definetly scare me if I was a crow! Looks like they had fun doing it #CountryKids
Thank you Cassandra – they had a lot of fun helping to make it 🙂
What a great activity! Glad you had fun even though you didn’t win, great effort though!
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Thank you Emma – I never thought we would win but it was just so much fun to take part 🙂
What a fabulous family creation! It’s something we have never done but I’m sure we’d have great fun.
#countrykids
Thank you Heidi – it was certainly a lot of fun 🙂
Such a fantastic idea!! I love the scarecrow and the idea behind the competition.
#countrykids
Thanks Karen – it was a lot of fun taking part 🙂
It was a really creative scarecrow, I like Jessica’s drawing, so adorable. 🙂
What a great autumn activity and what a great way to engage families in such a deserving charitable collection. We’ve just had a winter rucksack collection full of essentials for refugee children at the school where I teach and we’ve had a fab response.
David – Potty Adventures
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