We needed some autumn colors in our house. Some country mood. Some crafty project. So we broke out the crate of scrap paper from behind the bed. (it’s no wonder it kinda collects dust bunnies since it’s a stand on your head, stretch your ribs, blood rush to your face kind of dive to haul it out!)
I had seen an idea to create your own scarecrows with old Pringles cans on a web sight recently. Since I didn’t have the patience to go find it again, I gathered supplies we had in our house and relied on my memory and imagination. We spread out on the living room floor under the furiously whirling ceiling fan and picked out bright sheets of paper. I love doing crafts with my kids, but their attention span seems a nanosecond. Maybe that’s a slight stretch since a nanosecond is actually only 1 billionth of a second, but you get the idea… sometimes it feels that way!
Out of the tearing paper and ‘It’s OK, Kierra, just relax.’ and the ‘Kobe! Do not play with glue’…
These little guys emerged. I was slapping them together at the end, so I’m sure if you have creative kids and more time and concentration, yours could evolve quite a bit more handsomely 🙂
1. Use an empty Pringles can for the body. (we used an empty powered drink tube)
2. Cut paper (or fabric) into strips and glue around the can to create the body.
3. Use burlap fabric scraps or torn paper scraps to patch the clothes.
4. Add a mouth, nose, and eyes.
5. Add suspenders or buttons or both.
6. Crumple a wad of paper and tape it to the lid of the can.
7. Cut a big round circle of paper (or felt or burlap) for the hat.
8. Cover the lid (including the paper wad 🙂 with the round paper and secure it with a piece of string. Trim off any excess hat paper and turn up the edges a bit to create a brim.
9. Use long strips of paper for the arms. Fold a small tab over on one end of the strip. Glue it to the side of the body. Then let the ‘arm’ hang down over the tab. I put a few folds in one guy’s arm to add some wiggle.
Enjoy your festive scarecrows! 🙂
Hint: (I’d love to see what your kids create 🙂
Wildflower Muse 