Sparkle Craft: Shoo-Crow Garland
Scarecrows are delightfully whimsical, but they are designed to be so much more than a simple autumn symbol. Scarecrows are really important, designed to help keep crows (and sparrows and other birds) from eating freshly planted crops. But those seemingly simple decoys don’t always look like the ones that Martin & Sylvia found around town in this week’s Martin & Sylvia: Saturdays! story, “The Great Scarecrow Mystery.”
Farmers and gardeners use all sorts of unexpected things to shoo unwanted birds from munching on their crops. It’s easy to spook a crow with unexpected movement, flashes of light or sound.
Why not make a shoo-crow garland of your own to scare crows (or just look beautiful) in your own backyard?
You Will Need
Aluminum Pie Plates
Hole Punch
Twine
Large Wooden Beads
Option 1
Sharpie Markers
Option 2
Pencil
Hammer
Nails
Scrap Wood
What To Do
Start by decorating your pie plates. There are two options for decorating – choose one or do both!
Option 1: use permanent sharpie markers to draw and doodle on the inside of your pie plate. The sharpie marker on the shiny aluminum has a nice effect!
Option 2: use a hammer and nail to punch a design into the aluminum. If you want to be sure to get it just right – sketch a design, lightly, with pencil first. Then, every ¼-inch or so, lightly tap the nail through the aluminum. Make sure you have a piece of scrap wood underneath all that hammering!
Once your pie plates are decorated, it’s time to make your garland!
Punch two holes into the top of each pie plate. If you’ve cut up extra aluminum bits or pieces, punch holes in the tops of those, as well.
With your twine, string your garland. Attach your pie plates, aluminum bits, and beads as you like!
Get outside and hang it up!
Explore More & Make Connections
Visit a nearby farm or large garden, if you can. What do you notice about the farm? Do they have anything that might scare crows?
Often in backyards we don’t necessarily want to scare the birds away; people actually enjoy encouraging them to come by. What might you do in your backyard to encourage birds to visit?
About the Authors
Andrea Folsom
Andrea Folsom describes herself as a writer, editor, creative maker, and eternal optimist. She is passionate about learning and sharing new creative techniques, making beautiful spaces, and talking about the social-emotional benefits of creativity and art. She runs Crafting Connections - a website providing inspiration, practical advice, and projects for creative families - with her close friend Danielle Reiner.
Danielle Reiner
Danielle Reiner describes herself as a creative, a maker, and a mama. At the heart of her story is creativity, though that hasn’t always been the case. She rediscovered her deeply hidden creativity early in adulthood – with a ball of yarn and a couple of knitting needles – and hasn't stopped since. Danielle also runs Crafting Connections - a website providing inspiration, practical advice, and projects for creative families - with her close friend Andrea Folsom.
