Front yard friends

Sunset, Oct, 1998 by Daniel Gregory

Curb appeal takes on a different meaning at Halloween. Look at these garden figures designed by Francoise Kirkman, for example. Dressed in their autumnal finery, they're ready to help greet your trick-or-treaters and other guests. You make them with a base of bamboo sticks and wire frames, adding gourds, garden clippings, and other natural elements. T-shirts, hats, and gloves complete the festive neighborly effect. For instructions, see page 96.

MATERIALS (for one scarecrow)

* Four 50-inch-long bamboo sticks

* Five metal double-wire wreath bases ranging from 6 to 22 inches

* Plumbing tape

* Large gourd for head

* Two small gourds for the mouse ears (optional)

* Raffia or wire

* 2 yards of 36-inch-wide chicken wire

* One 36-inch-wide roll of garden burlap or 2 yards regular burlap

* Garden twine

* Dried or fresh flowers, greenery, twigs, fruits, and/or vegetables; dried bark and cranberries optional

* Garden gloves

* T-shirt (optional)

* Moss or lichen (optional)

* Hat (optional)

TOOLS

* Handsaw

* Glue gun (or tacky glue)

* Electric drill

* Darning needle

* Wire cutter

* Toothpicks and thread (optional)

DIRECTIONS

(A) Make a tall cone for the scarecrow's body with the four bamboo sticks and the five rings arranged in graduated sizes. Slide the sticks between the double-wire rings. Secure with small pieces of tape to keep the rings in place, equally spaced along the sticks.

(B) For the head, choose a gourd in proportion to the body. Using a handsaw, cut a 2 1/2- to 3-inch-diameter hole for the neck. The tops of the sticks will slide into this hole. For a person, cut across the gourd neck. (For the mouse: Cut a 3-inch opening on the side of the gourd. The neck of the gourd becomes the mouse's nose. Make two holes for the mouse's ears large enough to insert the necks of the small gourds. Glue the ears in the holes.)

Drill a line of small holes around the neck hole; they should be just large enough to insert the needle and raffia or some wire. Place the gourd on the top of the cone and secure it with raffia or wire through the small holes. Tape around sticks for extra stability.

(C) Cut a 36- by 20-inch piece of chicken wire. Roll it into a 36-inch-long cylinder for the arms. Cover the cylinder with a piece of burlap, and place it across the second ring from the top of the cone. Tie with twine in several places and at ends to keep burlap in place.

(D) Wearing gloves, wrap the cone with the remaining chicken wire, molding the wire to the cone's shape.

(E) Cover the chicken wire with burlap and fasten with a few stitches of raffia.

CLOTHING/ACCESSORIES

Decorate as shown on pages 94 and 95, or use your imagination.

(F) You can wrap garlands of greenery with dried or fresh flowers around the skirt.

(G) Dress up with a T-shirt or use a glue gun and toothpicks to fashion a bodice from dried bark, available at craft stores. Make a belt from garden twine, then hang twigs, fruits, and vegetables from it. String cranberries to make a necklace or bracelet. Add hair by gluing moss or lichen on the head.

Note: A head of chicken wire crushed into a ball can substitute for a gourd. The sitting man on page 95 was made this way. His legs are rolls of chicken wire. He is covered with burlap and decorated with autumn leaves. A hat can be glued or stitched on the head.