- basic idea
- Structure of a scarecrow
- Required material
- Build a scarecrow: instructions
- frequently asked Questions
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Just now your tree was full of delicious fruit and now there is nothing left? There must have been birds faster than you. Setting up a scarecrow can prevent such situations in the future. We show how you can easily build an effective scarecrow yourself.
In a nutshell
- imitate humans
- Make a wooden frame out of three slats
- Form a head out of straw
- Dress and decorate as you like
basic idea
When new seed has just been planted, there is a risk that birds will swoop on it and ruin the crop. Since all European bird species are protected under Art. 44 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act, they may not be injured, caught or killed. Scarecrows ensure that the birds do not even approach the seed. They mostly imitate human or enemy silhouettes. The birds usually do not approach the seed because they are afraid of people or the enemy outlines. Next to that they are
- decorative element
- cult symbol
Scarecrows have protected our gardens since the dawn of agriculture.
Structure of a scarecrow
An effective scarecrow consists of the following elements:
- basic framework
- head and body
- clothing and decoration
Ultimately, how you design the parts exactly is a matter of personal discretion. If you want the scarecrow to be particularly durable, you should choose a very stable substructure. The best way to do this is to:
- Shape the body out of rabbit wire and dress it up with plaster bandages
- Fill jute sacks with straw and fasten with ropes around the entire structure
The location is also decisive for the further procedure. Scarecrows, which are only intended to protect a small balcony, are of course much smaller than scarecrows in the field.
Required material
Fortunately, larger scarecrows for the garden can also be easily built by yourself. All you need for this is:
- 3 rough-sawn wooden slats (about 2 meters, 1 meter and 50 centimeters)
- screws
- straw
- thread for tying
- Piece of burlap (about 80 x 80 centimeters)
- discarded clothing
- any decorative elements (straw hat, flowers, buttons, waterproof paint… )
A discarded ball can also be used as a head.
Tip: You can of course use other items as well. How about an old shovel for the body or a soccer ball for the head? There are no limits to creativity here.
Build a scarecrow: instructions
Once you've got the materials, there's nothing standing in the way of construction. And this is how you do it:
- sharpen the longest wooden slat at one end (also possible in hardware stores)
- Attach the middle wooden slat across about 30 cm before the end of the long wooden slat, so that a cross is formed
- further down attach a short wooden slat as a "hip".
- Drive the wooden scaffolding at least 30 cm into the ground at the desired location
- Form the head of the scarecrow out of straw, put the sackcloth over it and fix it with string
- Put on a scarecrow (clothes should be flapping in the wind)
- Put straw in the clothes for hands and fix with string
- decorate as you like
Sharpen the squared timber so that it can be better hammered into the ground later.
Tip: A combination of movement, light and bang effects is particularly effective. So add moving ribbons, reflective CDs or rattling tin cans to your scarecrow.
In order to maintain the scarecrow's effectiveness, you should also change the location and clothing of the dummy regularly. Otherwise the birds will get used to it and won't let your garden friend drive them away.
frequently asked Questions
Can I use any material to build my scarecrow?In principle, all materials are available to you. However, you should keep in mind that some things could fly away in severe weather. Therefore, use mainly natural materials and avoid plastic for the sake of the environment.
Can you also buy scarecrows?Yes. Scarecrows are available both in brick-and-mortar stores and online. You will also find scarecrows modeled on birds of prey or other predatory animals. However, purchased scarecrows are less individual than self-made ones.
Are there other types of scarecrows?Yes. In the meantime, not only different shapes, but completely new types of scarecrows are available. For example, there are mini scarecrows or painted flower pots as scarecrows. However, these are mostly used for decorative purposes only.