In the Garden with The Little Veggie Patch Co. - How to make a Scarecrow

Today is your last chance to leave a comment on any of this weeks post from The Little Veggie Patch Co. and go into the draw to win one of ten copies of their fantastic book! The winners will be drawn at random after 10pm tonight and announced tomorrow morning. Thanks to Mat, Fabian and Macmillan for this great prize! -Jenny x

This may seem like the perfect day for the kids, but we always take great pleasure in creating and fashioning our new scarecrow friend. And if you are still bitter after failing your career as a stylist, here is the opportunity to redeem yourself. When dressing up or down your scarecrow, you may prefer to use older clothes that have run their course, but that decision lies with you. Who knows your determination to make this scarecrow as physically repulsive as possible to all threatening wildlife?

How to make a Scarecrow

• old clothes
• gumboots
• 4 long wooden stakes
• thicker block of timber (about 0.5 m long)
• screws
• ball of string
• bale of straw
• hessian bag
• mask of choice (or buttons)

1. Begin by constructing the frame of your scarecrow. Attach two of the wooden stakes together, making a crucifi x shape – this will be the arms and the upper body. Now grab your thicker wooden block and screw the other two stakes to this to create the legs, with the sharp ends of the stakes as the feet.

2. Screw both segments together to make the completed frame. This should be quite sturdy, so use as many screws as you feel necessary. Trim off any excess length or unrequired sharp ends for safely.

3. Time to be the stylist here and clothe the scarecrow. Start by putting on the pants and filling them with straw to provide bulk and life. Then pierce the soles of the gum boots, forcing them over the pointy stakes and pulling them up until you can tuck in the pants.

4. Construct the head and torso by stuffing a hessian bag with straw. Tie with string at the ‘neck’ and attach at this point to the junction of the crucifix.

5. Clothe the upper half of the scarecrow and attach a terrifying mask of your choice to the hessian bag or, alternatively, to avoid unnecessary panic among human kind, use any old buttons you may have in the sewing box to make the facial features.

6. Select a spot in the veggie patch for your creation and hammer in the legs. The sturdier the frame, the easier it is to drive the scarecrow into the ground.