Coolest Homemade Scarecrow Stalker Optical Illusion Costume

This Homemade Scarecrow Stalker Optical Illusion Costume was the brainchild of my husband, and myself. We were not really sure with our current budget how we could purchase our children Halloween costumes this year. So we decided to make them. I had the thought earlier in the month, however, we did not start attempting to put it together until October 30th (miserable family tradition).

We started with a really creepy scarecrow mask. After that everything else was a scavenger hunt around the house. The best part about this costume is it cost nothing to make (except for a $1.00 from the Dollar Tree for a little black scarecrow), and the garbage bag stuffing is all reusable. The scarecrow could be used as a decoration for future Halloweens, or a scary garbage bag dispenser).

Contents:

1) Mask
2) Dad’s Old Flannel Shirt (Oversized)
3) Garbage Bags / Grocery Store Bags
4) Paper Towel Holder
5) Old Pair of Jeans (Child Size)
6) Large Pair Of Jeans (Mom Size)
7) Used Jumbo Pretzel Container
8) Used Plastic CD Holder
9) Used Socks (Child Size)
10) Used Easter Basket
11) Hay
12) Old Backpack
13) Dollar Store Broom Handle
14) Used Work Gloves
15) Dollar Store Crow
16) Used Pair Of Ladies Black Stockings
17) Lot’s Of Hot Glue!
18) Cardboard Box Insert
19) Twine & metal hanger wire
20) Rags/Old Towels

Scarecrow Body:

Step One: Cut top off of plastic pretzel container.

Step Two: Place CD holder into bottom of pretzel container (fits snuggly)

Step Three: Cut broom handle (this is for the height of the scarecrow ~ measure from the bottom of the backpack to where you would like the top of the scarecrow head to be).

Step Four: Put limb of CD holder into the hole in the broom, and crimp broom handle around the limb.

Step Five: Cut a hole in the top of the backpack for the broom handle to go into.

Step Six: Using old rags to build up shoulders place cardboard for shoulders onto broom, and slide to the bottom of pretzel container.

Step Seven: Put paper towel roll underneath cardboard shoulders, and cut to length.

Step Eight: Slide broom handle thru the hole, and stuff the backpack with garbage bags until the handle is stable (clothing was too heavy??. So we opted for bags).

Step Nine: Place ladies black stocking over pretzel container.

Step Ten: Glue “cut to” size pieces into the upper sleeves of your flannel, and stuff with garbage bags until you reach the look of a “real” arm.

Step Eleven: Stuff two work gloves, and hot glue them to the cuffs of the flannel.

Step Twelve: Finish the arms by stuffing any needed bags (grocery store) into the button hole opening on the sleeve. Once finished hot glue the button hole opening together. Tie twine around wrist, and tie in a bow.

Step Thirteen: Put flannel, and mask onto your faux body. Tie twine around the scarecrow neck (I also placed a small amount of hay under the twine).

Step Fourteen: Hot Glue Black Crow To Shoulder

Basket:

Step One: Cut an opening only large enough for your child to slide into. Cut out the bottom of basket about half way. (We just cut a little, and checked, and then cut a little more) *For comfort & safety I put a strip of duct tape down each side where the basket is cut so it is not sharp.

Step Two: Hot glue fingers of gloves around handles of basket. Use metal hanger wire to secure wrist?s of scarecrow to the basket.

Step Three: Cut several long strips of twine, and tie them into openings at the back of the basket. (These will be used to tie the basket to the child so they do not have to carry the basket)

Faux Legs:

Step One: Hot glue “cut to” size pieces into bottom of pant legs.

Step Two: Stuff with garbage bags until legs look “real”.

Step Three: Stuff child?s sock with grocery bags (shape to look real).
Step four: Glue socks to bottom of pants.

Assembly:

Step One: Carefully slide into the basket.

Step Two: Put on backpack. Someone will need to help stabilize scarecrow during this step.

Step Three: Tie twine pieces behind child?s back to hold up basket.

Step Four: Cut your child’s old t-shirt all the way up the back, but just to the neck line. Cover your child’s body with the t-shirt,
making sure to cover backpack straps.

Step Five: Fill basket with hay.

Step Six: Get ready for a night filled with compliments.

Note* We used a larger pair of jeans for our child to wear, however, I think it would work nicely with a pair of their own. Just tie some twine around the bottom’s of the legs with a little hay tucked underneath.

Happy Halloween!!

The Homemade Scarecrow Stalker Optical Illusion Costume was the biggest hit I have ever seen. My son had his picture taken by numerous people. We had officers from the sheriffs dept. baffled, and stopping in the streets. His bag of candy was double that of my other son’s. Every house he went too said it was the best they had seen, and that we should enter it into a contest???.. So here we are!

Things I would have done differently:

The costume held up beautifully throughout the night, however, I would have changed the following things:

1. Instead of gluing the fingers around the handles on the basket. I would glue them to the front of the basket toward the top, and run metal wire or twine up the sleeve?s, and tie them together at the back ( I believe this would help support the basket even better, and would give the appearance of the child being cumbersome for the scarecrow to carry).

2. Start a little earlier. Even though it looked awesome, and was easy to put together. The night before Halloween probably isn’t the best idea, especially if you find that you do not have everything you need!

Here’s the video: