How to Make a Paper Scarecrow Craft for Kids

Scarecrows were created to be “scary”, but this paper scarecrow craft is beyond adorable. This is such a perfect craft to make during the Fall season and is lots of fun for kids of all ages. This adorable scarecrow craft requires only a few basic craft supplies and can be used to practice fine motor skills.

If you like this adorable scarecrow craft, make even more Autumn crafts, like this fall coloring pages, Mandala pumpkin craft, Turkey printable hand puppet craft, easy apple art with worm craft, our best fall crafts for kids, and thanksgiving turkey hats printable for kids.

Skills This Craft Builds

• Fine motor skills
• Hand-eye coordination
• Following directions
• Creativity and self-exploration
• Scissor skills
• Focus and attention

Best Ages

Preschool

This scarecrow craft is a wonderful choice for preschoolers with a little adult assistance. Young children can practice gluing, identifying shapes, and building fine motor skills while enjoying a fun fall-themed activity.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten students can complete much of this scarecrow craft independently while strengthening cutting skills, following directions, and creative thinking. It fits perfectly into autumn learning and harvest themes.

Elementary

Older children can personalize their scarecrows with extra details, patterns, and backgrounds. This makes the project a great extension activity for fall units, Thanksgiving celebrations, and seasonal art lessons.

Fun Facts about Scarecrows

• The first scarecrow was made about 3000 years ago.
• They were first made by the Egyptians to protect their wheat fields, especially along the Nile River.
• Even though scarecrows were created to scare away pesky crows, the birds are too smart for that. They aren’t very effective.
• Japanese farmers have also used scarecrows in the past, however, they would hang old rags, meat, and fish bones on their creations. The smell itself was enough to keep not only birds but all creatures away from their crops.
• The first known usage of the word “scarecrow” in English novels was in 1719 in Robinson Crusoe, written by Daniel Defoe.

For even more information about scarecrows, check out this article from The Fact Site.

Reading books we love to pair with this Scarecrow Craft!!!

Scarecrow Craft Variations

Friendly Scarecrow

Give your scarecrow a big smile, rosy cheeks, and colorful clothing to create a cheerful fall friend that’s perfect for younger children.

Thankful Scarecrow

Turn the craft into a gratitude activity by having kids write people, experiences, or blessings they are thankful for on each patch of the scarecrow’s outfit.

Farm Scarecrow

Add a barn, pumpkins, hay bales, corn stalks, or other harvest details in the background to transform the craft into a complete farm scene.

Name Scarecrow

Practice letter recognition and spelling by writing a child’s name across the scarecrow’s hat, patches, or clothing. This variation is especially popular in preschool and kindergarten classrooms.

Save these Cute Scarecrows for later. Pin them to your favorite Pinterest board…

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How to make your own scarecrow

The pictures here are just a starting point. Your finished scarecrows shouldn’t look anything like this one. Use whatever colors you want and create your own design for his close and facial features. The only limit is your imagination.

CRAFT SUPPLIES FROM THE BAG

• Construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• Markers
• Googly eyes (optional)
• Scarecrow craft template

We’re so glad to have you here at In the Bag Kids’ Crafts! Our mission is to help you make crafting with your kiddo a habit using fun, easy ideas with supplies you already have on hand.

Be sure to visit the “Fill Your Bag” page for our go-to supply list—we use it for every project to keep crafting simple, affordable, and mess-free. No extra store runs, no missing pieces—just grab your bag and start creating!

Want to make it even easier? Check out our quick shopping list on Amazon and Walmart to stock up on everything we love.

And if you use our printables, don’t miss our Favorite Printing Essentials. We’ve found a reliable, no-hassle printer that won’t leave you dealing with constant issues or dried-out ink—plus all the extras you need so you can print and craft without the frustration.

Simple Craft Instructions:

Step 1: Use the Craft Template

• Download the free scarecrow craft template
• Choose your favorite colors of construction paper to cut out all of the parts, including the overalls for the scarecrow body, shirt, heart and hat. We used brown paper for the hat, red for the shirt and blue for the overalls.

Step 2: Add Some Details

• Use your markers to add details to all of the scarecrow’s clothing.
• We made some plaid markings on the shirt, stitching on the overalls and thatching marks on the hat.

Step 3: Fold

• Take the overalls for the scarecrow’s body and create and accordion fold in the center. If working with young kids, feel free to skip this step. You’ll just have a tall and skinny scarecrow.

Step 4: Assemble Your Scarecrow Paper Craft

• Use a little glue and attach the shirt to the overalls.
• Continue gluing the pieces in place with your glue stick by next adding the scarecrow’s head.

*Don’t add the hat just yet because we need to add some straw.

Step 5: Add Some Straw

• Grab a piece of yellow gold construction paper and snip small strips of paper about 1/2 inch long.
• Use the glue stick to attach some of the pieces of straw to the under side of the hat on each side. This will be the scarecrow’s hair.
• Then place the hat on the top of your scarecrow.
• Finally, add more straw to create the hands and feet of the scarecrow.
• Shape the pieces of “straw” with some scissor snips.

Step 6: Create the Scarecrow’s Face

• Finish off your fun craft by drawing on an adorable face and adding some googly eyes. It’s a great way to add some personality.

Classroom Uses for this Scarecrow Craft…

Fall Theme Units

Add this scarecrow craft to your fall classroom activities to help bring seasonal learning to life through hands-on creativity and imaginative play.

Farm Lessons

Pair this craft with lessons about farms, crops, and how scarecrows help protect growing fields. It makes a memorable addition to agriculture-themed studies.

Harvest Activities

Celebrate the harvest season by incorporating this easy scarecrow craft into discussions about autumn traditions, community helpers, and seasonal changes.

Thanksgiving Crafts

This scarecrow craft can be used alongside Thanksgiving activities to encourage gratitude, creativity, and meaningful conversations about the blessings of the season.

Fine Motor Centers

Cutting, gluing, and assembling the scarecrow provide valuable opportunities for children to strengthen hand muscles and practice coordination skills needed for writing success.

How to Adapt This Craft for Preschoolers

Most preschoolers will not have the scissor skills to complete this craft independently. This also applies to the accordion folding. When crafting with young children, precut the template pieces. Have your preschooler do all of the decorating and gluing together. Snipping strips of yellow paper into “pieces of straw” is a great way to practice early scissor skills too. Only help as much as you need to and allow your child to be as independent as possible.

Here are even more Fall activities

Fall Activities Paper Chain

Paper Pumpkin Crafts

Fall Leaf Puppets

FAQ about this Scarecrow Craft for Kids???