DIY Worzel Gummidge

Mark Rayner builds a scarecrow with movable limbs.

You will need:

25mm x 25mm wooden garden stake, cut to the following:
- 2 x 320mm for the upper arms
- 2 x 330mm for the lower arms
- 2 x 390mm for the upper legs
- 2 x 490mm for the lower legs
25mm x 50mm wooden batten pieces cut to the following:
- 1 x 500mm for the shoulders
- 1 x 500mm for the hips
- 1 x 550mm for the back
Offcuts of 17mm tanalised plywood

Also required: 16 brass screw eyes, 40mm galvanised nails, PVA exterior wood glue, paintbrush, artist's brush, 2 blue glass pebbles in clear exterior silicon, pliers, jigsaw and hammer. Resene Quick Dry Primer Undercoat and Resene Lumbersider in Resene Whiskey Sour, Resene Nero and Resene Colonial White.

To get the look: Mark mounted the scarecrow on a metal fence post and dressed him in yellow and black PVC wet weather gear, for maximum year-round protection.

Step one
Using a jigsaw, cut a life-sized head, neck and upper chest from an offcut of tanalised plywood. Round off the corners of the 'shoulders' section of wooden batten. With 40mm nails and wood glue, attach the 'shoulders' batten and the 'back' batten to the plywood head and chest, as shown.

Step two
Attach the 'hips' batten to the base of the 'back' batten with 40mm nails and wood glue. Lay out upper and lower arms.

Step three
Attach a screw eye to one end of the 'upper arm' batten and another screw eye to the underside of the 'shoulder' batten. Open one of the screw eyes with the pliers, link with the other screw eye and close, as pictured. Repeat with all other sections of arms and legs.

Step four
Using a jigsaw, cut out hand and foot shapes from tanalised plywood offcuts and attach to arms and legs with 40mm nails and wood glue.

Step five
Prime with one coat of Resene Quick Dry Primer Undercoat. Allow to dry, then paint with two coats of Resene Whiskey Sour. Allow to dry.

Step six
Using the artist's brush, paint in facial details with Resene Nero, and paint eyes with Resene Colonial White. Allow to dry.

Step seven
Using the artist's brush, paint in details on hands and feet with Resene Nero. Allow to dry.

Step eight
Paint 'pupils' on the glass pebbles with Resene Nero, then fix in position with a blob of clear silicon.

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