Festive Scarecrow

Oscelyn Brooks

Learn how to make this festive fall scarecrow to decorate your home for the season.

Getting Started

Preheat oven to 275 °F. Test temperature with oven thermometer for perfectly cured clay. Condition all clay by kneading until it’s soft and smooth or running it through the Clay Conditioning Machine for several passes on the widest setting. Fold the clay in half after each pass and insert the fold side into the rollers first.

Step 1 Pumpkins

Using the circle cutter, cut out the Orange clay and make different size balls for the pumpkins. For this project, Balls of clay ranging from ½ inch to about 1 inch in diameter work well. (Save a ball of clay, about 3/8 of an inch, for later to make buttons, the beak on the black bird and/or patches). Use the remaining package of Orange to make extra pumpkins for your scarecrow.

Step 2 Pumpkins

Using the Needle Tool impress lines in the clay to resemble the vertical ridges in a pumpkin.

Step 3 Pumpkins

Use the end of a large knitting needle to put a small hole in the top of the pumpkin, where the stem will go.

Step 4 Pumpkins

Roll a small ball of Raw Sienna and shape into a teardrop. Put a dab of Translucent Liquid Sculpey in the hole and then insert the brown stem as shown.

Step 5 Pumpkins

Bake for 20 minutes, let cool and set aside for later.

Step 1 Head

Roll a 1¼-inch ball of Beige clay for the head.

Step 2 Head

Use the Needle Tool to make a line down center of the face/head, as shown.

Step 3 Head

Use 2 seed beads for eyes, cutout a tiny triangle shaped nose from Cadmium Red Hue clay (rolled down to #4 on Clay Conditioning Machine) and place it just beneath the eyes. Draw a mouth using the Needle Tool. Set head aside.

Step 1 Shirt

The shirt can be any color of your choosing. This project shows Purple. Roll a 1¼-inch ball of clay into an egg shape. Add buttons to the top front (the narrow part) of the shirt. Add vertical lines at the bottom of the shirt as gathers.

Step 2 Shirt

Roll two 5/8-inch balls and shape into elongated eggs for arms. Use a large blunt ended knitting needle to put holes in arms for hand placement. Roll across work surface to make the sleeve opening a little wider.

Step 3 Shirt

Roll two 3/8 inch balls of Beige into shapes shown. Shape by rolling the clay between thumb and forefinger near the bottom, see picture. Place a drop of Translucent Liquid Sculpey into each sleeve and then insert hands, pinch sleeve gently to get a tight fit around the hand. Attach sleeves to shirt/upper body. Smooth seams. Use the Needle Tool to put creases in the folds of the arms and then set upper body aside.

Step 1 Pants

Roll a 1 and 1/8 inch of Granitex Blue into a log about 4 inches long and ½ inch wide. Bend legs in half. Use the Needle Tool to impress creases and gathers in pant legs.

Step 2 Pants

Insert toothpick at back pants to make a small mark, then remove, add a dab of Translucent Liquid Sculpey. Cut the toothpick into 3 pieces. Use a piece to insert into bottom of each leg. Insert the 3rd piece into the bottom of the shirt. This will help keep the scarecrow together. Then, align the shirt with the hole you made in the pants and attach. Press upper and lower body parts together firmly.

Step 1 Shoes

Roll 2 – 5/8 inch Ecru balls into egg, and then flatten slightly. Attach to pant legs.

Step 2 Shoes

Roll 2 – 3/8 inch Black balls into eggs and flatten slightly. Attach soles to bottom of shoes. Draw tread marks on bottom of each shoe sole.

Step 3 Shoes

Add shoe strings, if desired.

Step 1 Blackbird

Roll a small ball (about ½ inch) of Black clay into an egg shape. Roll 2 – ¼ inch balls into eggs shapes, and then slightly flatten for arms. Roll 2 – 1/8 inch Orange eggs for feet, press in 2 lines for toes.

Step 2 Blackbird

Use two tiny pinches of White for the eyes and 2 even smaller pinches of Green for the eye color.

Step 3 Blackbird

Roll a 3/16 inch Orange ball for beak. Taper ball on each end, see picture, and attach to face.

Step 4 Blackbird

Use Translucent Liquid Sculpey to sit bird on pumpkin and scarecrows hand.

Step 5 Blackbird

Give him a belly button, if you’d like. Just use the large knitting needle and press gently.

Step 1 Finishing Touches

Add a 3/4-inch ball of Raw Sienna to a 1 1/8 inch ball of Ecru. Blend well. Roll down to #2 on Clay Conditioning Machine. Using ½ inch circle cutter, cut out collar, score as shown. Place a drop of Translucent Liquid Sculpey on shirt, place the collar on the upper body, then put another small drop of Translucent Liquid Sculpey on top of collar, to help secure the head. Insert a toothpick and place head on top of collar.

Step 2 Finishing Touches

Roll the remaining Raw Sienna/Ecru mixture into a ball, then roll into a log thin enough to fit inside the Clay Extruder. Extrude strands for hair. Place the hair on his head.

Step 3 Finishing Touches

Place the largest pumpkin between legs and place the remaining pumpkins around the scarecrow. Press his hands close to the pumpkin just placed between his legs. You can use a little Translucent Liquid Sculpey to help adhere the pumpkins to his body, small pieces of toothpicks can also be placed on the side of the pumpkin, then use this to attach pumpkins to scarecrows body.

Step 4 Finishing Touches

Bake the Scarecrow for 1 hour; use an oven thermometer to assure proper baking temperature.

Step 5 Finishing Touches

Put on his hat, pressing his hat down, firmly.

Variations

• Add a little bit of Raw Sienna to make a darker skin scarecrow.
• Use different colors for the shirt and pants.
• Change the button colors.
• Take a large chunk of scrap clay, condition well, roll into a ball, wrap with ecru color, and then flatten. Scratch the pad of clay with a needle tool to imitate straw. Place you pre-baked scarecrow on the pad. Use Translucent Liquid Sculpey to aid in the adhesion.
• Change his smile
• Add some apples and some leaves!