Most of us think of scarecrows as something we put outside our houses to decorate for fall.  In the past, scarecrows were used for more than that.  They were put out in the fields to chase away birds and other animals that ate the seeds and plants.  Farmers would dress them up in old clothes and put them out in their fields.  Click here for a short history of scarecrows.
    Today, only small farms might use scarecrows.  Larger farms use other ways to scare off birds and rodents.  Some use air horns and others might use radio-controlled airplanes.  Other farmers send out sounds that birds that are in trouble make.  This scares any birds that are in the fields.  Follow the following links to see products that are used to scare away birds and other animals.

	Irri-tape irridescent foil:  a foil streamer glitters and waves in the wind.
	Bird-buster:  different products to do the same thing.

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Steps for Making a Scarecrow

1/2 bale of straw
One 4'x2" long board plus one 5'x2" board.
Burlap bag for head
Clothes: pants, shirt, gloves, old boots, hat, bandana.
Markers
Safety pins
Twine

1.  Make a 'T' out of the two boards.  [The long stick will go in the ground and the short one will be the arms.]  Nail the arm board about 6" from the top of the longer board.  This will form a cross.

2.  Put the stick through one side of the pants and stuff the legs with straw.

3.  Put the shirt on the cross with the boards through the arm holes.  Stuff the shirt with straw. Pin the shirt to the pants if you want to.

4.  Put the cross into the ground.  Stuff the burlap bag with straw & put it over the stick, using safety pins to attach it to the inside of the shirt.

8.  Boots for the feet will finish it.