Charming Scarecrow Wood Carving

Carve yourself a cute female scarecrow.

 LEVEL: SOME CHALLENGES

Get ready to carve up some charm with our unique scarecrow wood carving! In this easy-to-follow tutorial, you’ll create a lovely female scarecrow who is wearing a playful polka dot hat. And this scarecrow is more about garnering smiles than spooking crows. 

Perfect for all skill levels, our picture-by-picture instructions will walk you through the process of bringing this delightful wood carving to life.

Whether you’re adding a fall touch to your decor, or creating a special gift, this little scarecrow is sure to brighten any space! It is perfectly sized for carving outdoors while enjoying the fall weather (like I did at the beach).

Let’s get started!

Scarecrow wood carving

Supplies needed

  • I used a basswood block that is 1 x 1 x 4 inches (2.5 x 2.5 x 10 cm). As always, feel free to go bigger by simply doubling or tripling your wood block and the measurements provided.  
  • Like to create a roughout using a band saw? Photocopy the pattern at the end of this page to size to fit any wood block.
  • ALWAYS use a good safety glove whenever you carve. If carving over your lap, use a flat piece of wood (or something just as hard) to protect your leg arteries.
  • Use a pencil, pen, or magic marker to sketch your guidelines. You will need a ruler too. 
  • I used one knife and a V-tool to carve the straw, but provide instructions for using just a knife if you don’t have a V-tool.
  • A painting guide is included at the end of this page if you would like to paint your scarecrow wood carving like mine.

Scarecrow wood carving tutorial preview

It may help to watch this short video of all the steps before you start your scarecrow wood carving.

Set up your wood block for your scarecrow

You will carve off the corner for this project. Sketch your guidelines (photo 1):

  • 3/4 inch (1.9 cm) from the top to mark the bottom of the hat.
  • 1 inch (2.5 cm) below the first guideline to mark the bottom of the head.
  • 1 1/4 inch (3.2 cm) below the head guideline to mark the bottom of the body.
  • 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) from the bottom to mark the top of the scarecrow’s legs.
Guidelines to carve a scarecrow from a wood block.1. Guidelines are drawn

Make your first cuts

Use a stop cut to separate the top of the legs guideline all around (photo 2) and remove wood from above your cuts (photo 3).

Round the corners on the bottom (photo 4). 

Separate the other guidelines all around (photo 5). Tip: Start by making stop cuts at the corners, removing wood from underneath. Use stop cuts to work your way across. 

Round all the other corners on your wood block (photo 6).

Making a stop cut to carve a scarecrow2. Make a stop cut
Removing wood for scarecrow3. Removing wood from above
Rounding the corners on wood carved scarecrow4. Rounding the corners
Separating guidelines on wood carved scarecrow5. Separating guidelines
Rounding corners of wood carved scarecrow6. Rounding off corners

Roughout your scarecrow wood carving

Sketch the wood that you will remove on each side. Note: I carved the left side (photo 7) so you can see the roughout shape that you want to achieve. 

To avoid grain issues, use a sweeping cut—from the bottom up to the middle—to carve wood on each side of the hat (photo 8). Repeat from the top down to the middle to meet your bottom cut and remove the wood cleanly. Tip: Rotate your wrist as you cut. 

If your knife doesn’t flex enough to make a sweeping cut, you can use a V-cut. Be careful not to break your knife tip here. 

Use stop cuts (or V-cuts) to remove wood to roughout the head and body (photo 9).

Use a pyramid cut to shape the crook of the arms (photo 10).

Use a stop cut to roughout the shoes, removing wood from above your cut (photo 11). Continue all around the wood block (photo 12). You will refine the shape of the shoes later. 

Note: you will paint the scarecrow’s face rather than carve it. 

Half the wood carved scarecrow roughed out7. Wood to remove is marked
Using V-cut on wood carved scarecrow8. Making a swoop cut
Making a stop cut on wood carved scarecrow9. Making a stop cut
Making a pyramid cut on wood carved scarecrow10. Starting pyramid cut
Starting to carve feet on wood carved scarecrow11. Starting the legs and shoes
Carving the foot line on wood carved scarecrow12. Removing wood all around

Roughout the back of your scarecrow wood carving

Using stop cuts, work from the front around to the back to roughout the head of your scarecrow wood carving (photo 13). Do the same for the bottom of the jacket all around (photo 14).

Use sweeping cuts to shape the skirt (photo 15) and reduce wood off the belly and the back. 

You may need to further reduce wood on the front (photo 16). 

Shaping back of wood carved scarecrow13. Shaping head around
Shaping side of wood carved scarecrow14. Separating the jacket
Shaping skirt of wood carved scarecrow15. Shaping skirt
Narrowing front of wood carved scarecrow16. Reducing wood on the front

Sketch some details

Sketch the hat brim line, bow tie, jacket opening, and lines where you will separate the arms from the jacket (photo 17). You can use a stop cut and make a second slicing cut—or hold your knife like a pencil—to separate all of these details (photo 18). 

I decided to add a wide scarf around the neck by sketching a guideline all around (photo 19) and separating it with stop cuts. 

Use stop cuts to separate the hat brim all around, removing wood from above your cuts (photo 20). Shape the hat (photo 21).

Details are added to wood carved scarecrow17. Details are sketched
Separating details on wood carved scarecrow18. Separating the details
Scarf is sketched on wood carved scarecrow19. Scarf is sketched
Carving hat on wood carved scaregrow20. Separating hat brim
Shaping hat on wood carved scarecrow21. Shaping the hat

Carve textured details

Make some deep V-cuts along each side of the head for the straw hair (photo 22). Use a V-tool to carve the straw hair bangs—and in between your V-cuts—to add texture (photo 23). If you don’t have a V-tool make narrow V-cuts with a detail knife.

Continue to carve the hair with a V-tool on the back side.

In the same fashion, carve the straw coming out of the bottom of the scarecrow’s jacket (photo 24) all around. 

Carefully make a wide V-cut to split the shoes on the front (photo 25) and use your knife to shape them (completed in photos 26-29).

Making V-cuts to carve straw hair on wood carved scarecrow22. Carving the straw hair
Carving hair on wooden scarecrow23. Adding more texture
Carving straw on wood carved scarecrow24. Adding more straw
Splitting shoes with knife on wood carved scarecrow25. Splitting the shoes

Finish your scarecrow wood carving

Clean up your cuts and refine the overall shape of your scarecrow wood carving (photos 26-29).

I added some wrinkles with V-cuts on the arms and back (completed in photos 28,29).

Carefully thin the brim of the hat to avoid breaking the wood (completed in photos 26-29).

Front of unpainted wooden scarecrow carving26. Front view of unpainted scarecrow
Right view of unpainted wooden scarecrow carving27. Right view of scarecrow
eft view of unpainted wooden scarecrow carving28. Left view of unpainted scarecrow
Back view of unpainted wooden scarecrow carving29. Left view of scarecrow

Paint your scarecrow wood carving 

Check out this page about painting wood carvings for some awesome tips. I dilute my acrylic paints with drops of water to create a "wash." This allows you to build your paint in layers by using multiple coats—and still see some wood grain. 

To get this same look, use:

  • Face: Apple Barrel antique parchment 100% paint.
  • Scarf, socks, nose, and hat brim: FolkArt tangerine wash. 
  • Jacket: Ceramcoat denim blue wash.
  • Straw hair and straw under jacket: FolkArt yellow ochre wash.
  • Hat: Apple Barrel lite mocha wash.
  • Eyes, mouth, and polka dots: Ceramcoat black 100% paint applied with a toothpick.
  • Shoes: Ceramcoat black wash.
  • Cheeks: Apple Barrel cameo pink wash. 
  • Finish: Seal with polyurethane spray twice and apply turd polish or other antiquing stain. To make turd polish, use 3 parts Minwax Aged Oak Gel Stain and 1 part mineral spirits. Remove immediately with paper towels and throw the towels away outside (could be combustible). 
Front view of painted wood carved scarecrow28. Front of painted scarecrow
Left view of painted wood carved scarecrow30. Left side of scarecrow
Right view of painted wood carved scarecrow29. Right side of scarecrow
Back view of painted wood carved scarecrow31. Back of scarecrow

Scarecrow wood carving pattern

Photocopy this pattern to size to fit any wood block. 

Pattern to carve a wood carved scarecrow

Scarecrow wood carving tutorial summary

  • This adorable female scarecrow is fun to carve and pairs perfectly with my easy ghost wood carving and wooden Halloween gnome carving. 
  • I used a V-tool to carve the straw but you could also use V-cuts with a sharp detail knife.
  • A handy painting guide is included to get a similar look. 

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