For the last few years, the girls and I have been in charge of making a scarecrow for Pap's big garden. Since Steve's house is closest to the garden, he's in charge of crow patrol-but he can't be on duty 24 hours a day-so having a scarecrow helps.
First we went out to The Deer Hunter's scrap lumber pile and found 2 pieces of wood. One was an old 3 ft long garden stake-the other a 6 ft long piece of 2x2 trim. In past years we've used small saplings from the woods-they also work well.
We secured the 2 pieces of wood together to make a cross-with 2 zip ties. Zip ties are like duct tape they work for everything! If you'd don't have zip ties-you could use string or twine to tie the 2 pieces of wood together. The cross portion of wood-should be fairly high up on the straight piece of wood-think arms in relation to head.
I had an old worn out pair of The Deer Hunter's pants-but no shirt. I called Granny and she said she'd find me one of Pap's old shirts. So we moved the scarecrow operation down there.
After I put Pap's old shirt on the scarecrow, I put the pants on. I put one leg of the pants over the bottom portion of the cross-and the let the other leg hang empty. Then I safety-pinned the pants to the shirt. I also zip tied a hat to the top of the stick above the shirt collar.
If you wanted to-you could stuff the shirt and pants with straw, hay, leaves, fabric or whatever. We're mostly on the skinny side around here so we figure the crows are used to seeing thin folks in the garden. You could also add some sort of head if you wanted too-but a hat works well for us.
It had been thundering around all evening. Granny kept warning us a storm was coming and we needed to get inside. Chitter kept telling her the storm was going around us-but Granny was having none of that. She finally put her Granny foot down and ordered us on the porch NOW.
We tied 2 tin pie plates on each arm. First we made holes in the pie plates, then we attached 2 together with a piece of string-making sure to place them top to top-so they would make more noise when they blow around. Then we made a small hole in the arm of the shirt to thread the string through before tying it off around the arm-that way the noise makers are more securely attached to the scarecrow.
By this time-Granny had been proved right-the hail on her porch roof drove us all inside leaving the scarecrow to be put up the following day.
*UPDATE: I like Ed's idea (see comments below) if you want to play along-leave a name suggestion for the scarecrow or you can email it to me at tipper@blindpigandtheacorn.com I'll let Granny pick her favorite scarecrow name from the ones you suggest-and whoever the winner is can pick some of the Blind Pig Gang tunes for a free cd. The scarecrow name contest will close Sunday May 27.
Tipper
p.s. The Clay County Historical and Arts Council Old Jail Museum (Clay County NC) will be reopening Memorial Day Weekend. This year is a special opening. The Old Jail is celebrating it's 100th Birthday. Besides the Cherokee artifacts, Old time kitchen, Feed sack exhibit and many old time Hayesville photographs they will be welcoming a new full sized Cherokee basket weaver statue beautifully carved and crafted by Darry Wood. They have put together a retrospective on the years in which the Old Jail was in use from 1912 - 1972. For more information about the old jail-you can go here: History Of The Clay County Jail.
For more information about the Old Jail Museum you may contact Molly Seaver at:
woadwoman1960@yahoo.com or 828-837-0156.
Nice and scary looking guy you got there..Those old pie pans are the best..
Posted by: susie swanson | May 25, 2012 at 06:23 PM
Love that scarecrow! I need to make one too.
Posted by: Vicki Lane | May 25, 2012 at 02:33 PM
The name that popped into my mind for the scarecrow is MR Scatter Boo. Love to all of you. Grandmother Joy Newer.
Posted by: Joy Newer | May 25, 2012 at 06:35 AM
Good lookin' scarecrow Tipper. I thought of a different and educational name for the scarecrow. Several crows are called "a murder of crows", so when they come to your garden you probably scream like "blue murder" at them, so I thought the name "Blue" was appropriate.
Angie in New Brunswick, Canada
Posted by: Angie | May 24, 2012 at 11:07 PM
We should have had these instructions when we did corn silage ag bags...the crows loved to poke holes in them. NOT a good idea...air spoils silage!
Now for a name...my son says he should be named "Roger"!
Posted by: Alica | May 24, 2012 at 07:51 PM
Love the idea of adding the pie plates at the end of the sleeves for a little added something to scare the stew out of the birds!
Posted by: Jackie @Syrup and Biscuits | May 24, 2012 at 06:43 PM
Tipper,
Where in the world are the Scot-Irish ancestry reading here...You know how much I love Tattie-Bogels..(Scarecrows) especially the Tattie-Bogel...
Please read this poem about the Singing Tattie-Bogel...read it here:
http://www.rampantscotland.com/poetry/blpoems_tattiebogle.htm
You should also read about the Tattie-bogel festivals in Scotland....where everyone along the roads make a different Tattie-Bogel in celebration ...Doctors, lawyers, homes, schools..etc..such fun!
Please read the poem in your best Scot-Irish impersonation and scroll down to see the explanation of some of the words...I just love it...
For your Scare crow name,
How about "Harmony" 'cause Pap harmonises so well, and if the birds,crows, rabbits, woodchucks, deer, turtles(maters), polecats (turnips) etc.ect.etc...stay out of the garden then there will be "Harmony" there...like Paps voice adds to your music!
Thanks Tipper,
PS...Got the beans planted...and guess what...Got our first Gyspy pepper today and will be picking zucchinni by the weekend...YeeeHaa
Posted by: B. Ruth | May 24, 2012 at 05:56 PM
What about Malachi? Remember that troubled kid in the movie "Children of the Corn"? That was his name.
Posted by: Bradley | May 24, 2012 at 04:30 PM
Fun post! Tipper I think he looks like a skinny "Elroy" to me!
Posted by: Mamabug | May 24, 2012 at 03:44 PM
Your scarecrow looks so impressive in your Pap's shirt that it could scare away most unwelcome visitors! Most farmers in Cyprus put up scarecrows despite the fact that ecologists don't like them. Why not just Pap for a name?
Posted by: Anastasia | May 24, 2012 at 02:44 PM
Most years I don't make a scarecrow but this year I have a very small vegetable garden so I decided to go small on a scarecrow.
I went to the thrift store & bought a little blue shirt/jacket & a pair of black baby shoes. I'm making a Peter Rabbit scarecrow - you remember Peter lost his jacket & shoes & Mr McGregor hung them in the garden to scare away the birds. I may even splurge at Hobby Lobby & buy a plastic onion for the head so it will look just like the Beatrix Potter picture book. :o)
Posted by: Jen Y | May 24, 2012 at 02:27 PM
How 'bout Syd Scare'em?
Posted by: Luann | May 24, 2012 at 02:23 PM
Have been uncomfortable with scarecrows since watching the Doctor Who trilogy about the scarecrows that are taken over by space aliens and run amok through the countryside killing people. Our neighbor had one, and I kept a close eye on that thing to make sure it stayed put. One day, the durn thing was gone, and I thought...well, you know what I thought, at least for a second. It stayed gone for about a month, then suddenly a brand new one appeared. I think they're trying to sneak up on me, but with a scarecrow on the property to my left and a cemetery on the property to my right, I think I'm ready for anything that wants to tangle with me. ROFLOL
The things people make up in their minds. Isn't it funny?!?
God bless.
RB
<><
Posted by: RB | May 24, 2012 at 02:20 PM
I have an old Halloween decoration (witch with her broom) that makes a fabulous scarecrow. She already has the stake attached behind her long dress. Yours is much bigger than mine... So, I'm going to call it "The Blind Big Scarecrow".
Posted by: Shirla | May 24, 2012 at 02:11 PM
Tipper--I'll intrude with a practical question and comment or two. Has anyone, other than me, noticed how the habits of crows have changed in the last half century? When I was a boy I never recall seeing one feed on carrion, and they were a far worse agricultural nuisance then than they are now. I used to have to coat lots of kinds of seed with a noxious smelling product made of creosote and some other things. No more. Crows seem to me to be much scavengers and much less agricultural pests in today's world.
Now, let's think about giving the scarecrow a personality and some character. How about one that is, in appearance, a cross between Don and Ken? Add to that the ability to make noise on the constant level of Chitter and Chatter, the energy of the erstwhile Tipper, and maybe a once weekly change of clothes, and you've got a scarecrow for the ages!!!(Yeah, I know, I've laid myself wide open, but Don's traveling, Ken has probably already read this, you are too good hearted to be offended, and the girls will take it in stride).
Jim Casada
www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com
Posted by: Jim Casada | May 24, 2012 at 02:04 PM
Looks like a Clim Crowdiddlehopper to me!
Posted by: Ron Banks | May 24, 2012 at 01:36 PM
Tipper,
Your Scarecrow looks better than
mine. I used a tomato hanger so
the shoulders could be adjustable.
I'm gonna add me some pie pans,
didn't think of that. All I used
was a straw hat and shop coat. That thing even scares me when the
wind blows. How 'bout "Chuckie".
...Ken
Posted by: Ken | May 24, 2012 at 12:32 PM
Ski---short for Skedaddle
Posted by: martina | May 24, 2012 at 11:12 AM
I would name him Chase'um for Chase them. I wonder what would happen if an entire country road put those scarecrows up along their mailbox areas. It would be a site to see. It could be called scarecrow season. It would be like putting quilting designs on the sides of barns.
Posted by: dolores barton | May 24, 2012 at 10:06 AM
a fine looking scare crow. daddy always hung pie pans on his to and also strung string along the rows and tied pie pans to them. Peter Piepan Piper is my name
Posted by: MadSnapper | May 24, 2012 at 09:11 AM
I like your scarecrow.
He seems like Pap Scout to me. (Or maybe Pap's Scout?)
That's my suggestion for a name.
I hope he is a grand guard over the Wilson garden!
Posted by: Ethelene Dyer Jones | May 24, 2012 at 09:04 AM
Do you know what it is about a scarecrow that works? I heard tell it was the smell of the clothes, not necessarily the person-like looking thing. And I may need to make a scaredove because that is what is coming to our square foot gardens, lol!
How about Mr. Git, as in git outa here!
Posted by: Lise | May 24, 2012 at 08:29 AM
I live on Crow's Foot Farm, and we love crows here. But, that said, I do like to make a scarecrow. Mine wore out and I will have to make a new one this year. Around here, they are merely "for cute".
As for a name for yours..... well, he looks like an Ernie. So that's my name. Ernie.
Posted by: Karen Larsen | May 24, 2012 at 08:28 AM
I have seen scarecrows before, but without the noisemakers. I suspect the noise is a better deterrent than the visual.
How about "The Crow Hunter" for the scarecrow's name?
Posted by: Mike McLain | May 24, 2012 at 07:17 AM
How about Pat Pandandy for a name. I am making a scarecrow for my garden today. We put up a string of cds but they are just not doing the trick.
Posted by: Jeanna | May 24, 2012 at 07:09 AM
All that work and he don't have a name? Perhaps a contest?
Posted by: Ed Ammons | May 24, 2012 at 05:03 AM