How to make a DIY Bird Scarer – or is it a recycled wind chime…

“I think I might make a scarecrow for the Kitchen Garden” I said to the boys recently. There was no need for either of them to verbalise their thoughts since the expression on both their faces as they lifted heads briefly from gadgets, said it all.  Mr M did offer a disinterested “I thought the idea was to tidy up the place a bit darling?” nothing more though. Despite the fact I knew it would be a tasteful scarecrow, I gave the idea a miss for now and turned my attention to something a little less obvious. Join me today to see how my DIY bird-scarer cum homemade windchimes turned out, using of course, nothing I didn’t already have stashed away in my craft room…

Whilst I was making my diy bird-scarer I remembered as a child being told not to leave my toys outside in the rainy garden because “they’ll go rusty and get ruined” and I smiled to myself since fast forward a good many years, I seem to seek out only that which will deliver rust and wear and tear easily.

Your homemade bird scarer shouldn’t look like mine of course. You will have your own tins and treasures to leave outside to rust in the rain: This is what I used…

• Salvaged broken jewellery and necklaces
• Tarnished vintage spoons
• Champagne wire – the one which holds the cork safely in place
• Rusty garden chain
• Christmas cracker trinkets
• Rusty hooks
• Wine cork
• Small tin storage bucket
• Garden string
• Mr M’s drill

I started by drilling holes around the top of my little bucket similar in size to the drainage ones it already had. I attached a long garden chain by threading bits of rusty wire you first saw here through a link in the chain and passing it through the drainage holes, twisting and turning the wire as I went.

I recently ruined several vintage spoons – there were tears, it is still raw and painful – by leaving them overnight in a strong bicarbonate of soda and water solution. After several fraught attempts to save them, I had reluctantly added them to the craft room stock and thought my bird scarer would be an ideal use for them and might also help this craft pass for a recycled wind chime too. I drilled holes in each handle and attached a long length of garden twine.

I screwed an old brass picture hook into the centre of the base of the bucket starting from the inside and continued straight through into a piece of wine cork securing the hook safely in place. And from the brass hook, I hung my vintage spoons. As I did so, I was delighted to notice the jangling cutlery creating exactly the tune I had hoped for.

Lengths of discarded necklaces, once pretty costume jewellery created jingle jangles around the vintage bucket, each one held securely in place with the champagne corks’ wire which had been passed through the drilled holes.

I topped off the piece of wine cork with hot glue and a small mirror I’d salvaged from a broken compact a long long time ago together with a shiny trinket in the hope should we ever get any sunshine this year, it might reflect around the kitchen garden quite nicely and keep hungry birds away from my lettuce. And I added to the end of each jingle jangle, a saved Christmas cracker trinket which my lovey mother-in-law gave me in a box of goodies recently. She announced she’d had a clear out of her cupboards and wondered would I like a box of ribbons and treasures she herself had saved over the years. Of course I was delighted to receive my gift, unlike her son who felt clearing out my own tat shouldn’t warrant replacing it with hers.

And that was it, off I went to play in the kitchen garden adding my recycled bird scarer to the company of old CD’s hanging from garden twine, themselves serving as DIY bird scarers. And I spent a little while working out just where a scarecrow might live out its life inconspicuously amongst the veggies.

Since one of Master M’s bedroom windows overlooks the kitchen garden, I imagine my noisy homemade wind chimes may be moved fairly soon, for now though I am sitting with the kitchen barn door open, enjoying listening to the sweet sound of a calming symphony blowing in the breeze.

I wish I’d stencilled the bucket as I did here; perhaps I shall in time. I imagine this to be the perfect sunny afternoon crafting with little ones making something similar alongside parents or grandparents perhaps with a paper cup and ribbons or streamers of their own and I’ve saved a few more ideas to my Pinterest board which you might like to check out too. And I imagine your recycled bird scarer will be similar to mine yet quite different using your own broken jewellery, squirreled away for just such a craft.

Next week I have a needle and thread in my hand and I am creating a totally unique piece which I do believe beginners and the more accomplished stitcher amongst us, will enjoy turning their time and hands to as well. Until then…x

This blog is full of garden crafts to fill your space at any time of year. From a repurposed tray to carry your refreshing drinks and nibbles into the garden, to handy plant markers for your herbs and salads, there’s a craft or two for everyone!