Spring Crafts & a Spell: Scarecrows to Guard your Seeds

March time is often when people start to plant seeds after the last frost, and a scarecrow is a traditional guardian of the fields to try to stop birds from eating what's been sown. If you're looking for a springtime craft to do when your stuck indoors - perhaps if the weather isn't good enough to get out and start tidying up the garden - then how about making one yourself or with your children, if you have them?

Scarecrows are usually made from old clothes and pillowcases, and hung on a cross-shaped piece of wood - although you could use an old broom or rake that's seen better days. Most of them used to be stuffed with straw, but if you don't have that to hand because you don't live on a farm, then you could get away with stuffing them with other old clothes or old pillows.

The pictures on this page are ones I took when out and about a couple of years ago. The one at that top was at a farm, and the one lower down shows mini scarecrows I saw in a shop. It would be particularly easy to make ones like the small scarecrows. They would be ideal for window boxes, potted plants, or small gardens. If you want to make it extra magical, here’s a little spell you could chant when you've made your scarecrow:

Scarecrow, Scarecrow
Guard my seeds
Keep my plants
For me and the bees

I'm going to be talking more about seasonal folklore relating to dolls in my Facebook Live event on Magic for the Month of March at 4pm today, March 5th. The video will stay on Facebook so you can watch it later if you aren't around at 4pm. It will be completely free and you can find it here: https://www.facebook.com/events/434963721152542/

I'll also put it up on my YouTube channel after the event.

You can find out more about my book Pagan Portals - Poppets and Magical Dolls on my author page at publisher Moon Books' website or at my Amazon author page or at Treadwell's bookshop in London. Note: I earn commission from some links. This helps subsidise my blog at no extra cost to readers.

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2010/02/scarecrows-monstors-or-friends.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/03/dolls-day-festival-hina-matsuri.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2021/02/my-talks-on-magic-for-month-and-at-moon.html