Costume in a sentence: A DIY scarecrow costume is a thrifted flannel, jeans or overalls, straw tied at the wrists and ankles, a floppy hat, and a stitched face drawn in eyeliner. Built in one evening with safety pins and knots, it costs about $12.50 at Dollar Tree, makeup and remover included.
This guide is for one person who wants a DIY scarecrow costume that reads instantly and still feels fine at hour four. You get the full build in order, a straw test for itch, scarecrow makeup step by step with cheap drugstore products, and the way to get it all off.
DIY scarecrow costume at a glance
Every part of this DIY scarecrow costume is listed below with a price. Prices come from Dollar Tree’s website on October 1, 2026; stores vary. Closet or thrift clothes, scissors and a few hair ties aren’t counted. Times are estimates for one person working at a kitchen table.
| Part | From the closet or thrift store | Dollar Tree buy | Est. time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base outfit | Flannel or plaid shirt, jeans or overalls, boots | Bandanas, 2-pack ($1.50) | 10 minutes |
| Patches | Old fabric scraps, if you have them | Felt roll ($1.25), safety pins, 100-pack ($1.50) | 30 minutes |
| Straw cuffs and collar | Hair ties | Paper “raffia” grass skirt ($1.50) | 30 to 40 minutes |
| Hat | Any floppy or wide brim hat | Polyester burlap ribbon ($1.75) | 20 minutes |
| Scarecrow makeup | Your usual base, if you wear one | Eyeliner pencils, 3-pack ($1.25), lipstick ($1.25), blush ($1.25) | 15 to 20 minutes |
| Removal | Gentle cleanser | Makeup remover towelettes ($1.25) | 5 minutes |
What do you need for a DIY scarecrow costume?
You need four readable parts: a plaid or flannel shirt, worn jeans or overalls, straw showing at the cuffs and collar, and a floppy hat. The face finishes it. For this DIY scarecrow costume, the store only supplies the straw, patches, pins and makeup, about $12.50 in all.
Why those four? Because a DIY scarecrow costume is read by its silhouette first: a slumped figure in a big hat with tufts sticking out at the ends. That’s the same rule behind every build in our solo DIY Halloween costume guide. Fine detail barely registers from across a yard.
- Shirt: flannel or any plaid button-up, one size big so it hangs.
- Bottoms: overalls if you own them, otherwise old jeans. A rope or bandana belt fills the gap.
- Straw: one paper grass skirt, jute cord or straw-colored yarn (compared below).
- Hat: a thrifted floppy hat, a straw sun hat or a felt wide brim.
- Face: a black or brown eyeliner pencil, a red or orange lipstick, a powder blush.
- Fasteners: safety pins and hair ties. No glue gun and no sewing machine.
How do you make a scarecrow costume in one evening?
Work from the outside in: patch the clothes first, then tie the straw cuffs, then dress the hat, then wear-test it. A DIY scarecrow costume takes roughly two hours on one evening. Leave the scarecrow makeup for the night itself, because it takes about 15 to 20 minutes and shouldn’t be slept in.
- Distress the clothes (10 minutes). Roll the jeans or overalls once at the ankle and fray the cut edge of any patch scraps with your fingers. Skip holes in clothes you’ll want back.
- Pin the patches (30 minutes). Felt squares on knees, an elbow and one chest pocket.
- Tie the straw cuffs (30 to 40 minutes). Bundles knotted onto hair ties for wrists and ankles, plus a short fringe pinned inside the collar.
- Dress the hat (20 minutes). Burlap ribbon band, a tuft of straw at the back.
- Wear it for ten minutes. Sit, bend, lift your arms. Re-pin anything that pokes.
Short on time? A homemade scarecrow costume still reads with just the flannel, the hat and the face. The straw is the upgrade, not the requirement.
How do you add scarecrow patches without sewing?
Cut uneven squares from felt or old fabric, fray the edges, and fasten each one with two or three safety pins from the inside of the garment. Pins hold through a full night and come out cleanly, so a DIY scarecrow costume built on borrowed overalls goes back undamaged.
- Cut 4 to 6 squares between 3 and 5 inches. Crooked is better than neat.
- Mix two colors from the felt roll, or one felt and one old shirt scrap.
- Draw big “stitches” around each patch with a marker so it looks sewn on.
- Pin from inside, so the pin heads hide and nothing scratches the wearer.
One small trick for any DIY scarecrow costume: let a few strands of straw stick out from under one patch. It looks like the stuffing is escaping, and it ties the clothes to the cuffs.
Which straw is least itchy for scarecrow cuffs?
Straw-colored yarn is the softest, the paper grass skirt is the cheapest crisp option at $1.50, jute cord is scratchier but lasts, and real hay is the itchiest and sheds everywhere. For a DIY scarecrow costume worn all evening, keep the straw on removable cuffs that sit over the sleeve, never against bare skin.
| Straw | Dollar Tree price | Feel on skin | Shedding | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper grass skirt (listed as raffia) | $1.50 | Crisp, slightly scratchy edges | Low | Cuffs, collar, hat tuft |
| Natural jute cord, 256 ft | $1.25 | Scratchy once frayed | Fine fibers | Hat band, belt, short tufts |
| Straw-colored yarn | Not priced (stash yarn) | Soft | Very low | Kids and anyone with sensitive skin |
| Real hay or straw | Free if you have it | Itchy, pokes through fabric | High | Photos only, not a party |
A note on the paper skirt: Dollar Tree names it a raffia grass skirt, but the product description reads paper. That’s fine for a DIY scarecrow costume, as long as you treat it like paper near candles (more on that below).
Removable cuffs are what make a DIY scarecrow costume comfortable. Loop folded strands onto a hair tie with a simple lark’s head knot until the band is full, then slide it over the cuff of the sleeve. A blogger at En Mi Casita made her wristbands the same way, slip-knotting twelve 18-inch strands folded in half onto one hair tie, and put her whole scarecrow together for $3.56 because she already owned the flannel, boots and hat.
A parent on Another Stay Home Mommy Blog faced a harder test, a school scarecrow parade where her daughter wore the costume all day. Scratchy straw at the sleeves was the worry, so she ironed one side of hook-and-loop tape onto the pant legs and glued raffia to the other, which made the straw removable. The Myers family blog shows the other route: raffia sewn straight into overall legs and a hat lining. Their verdict was very cute, and itchy.
How do you make a scarecrow hat?
Use any floppy or wide brim hat you own, wrap a strip of burlap ribbon around the crown as a band, and tuck a small straw bundle under it at the back. A straw sun hat reads most farm-like on a DIY scarecrow costume, but a felt hat works too. Then tie or pin it so it can’t slide over your eyes.
- Band: wrap the burlap ribbon once around the crown and close it with a safety pin at the back. The Dollar Tree ribbon is listed as polyester, which lines up with the synthetic advice below.
- Tuft: pin a short bundle of straw under the band, pointing back and down, not into your eyes.
- Brim: on a straw hat, snip a few spots on the edge and pull strands loose for a worn look.
- Fit: a hat that slips covers your eyes in a crowd. Add a chin tie from bandana fabric or pin it to your hair.
How do you do scarecrow makeup with drugstore products?
Scarecrow makeup needs three products: an eyeliner pencil for the stitched mouth, the nose outline and drawn lower lashes, a red or orange lipstick for the nose and cheeks, and a powder blush to soften the circles. Draw every line in pencil first, then fill with color. Allow 15 to 20 minutes for the face of a DIY scarecrow costume.
- Base. Clean, dry skin. Add your usual concealer or foundation if you wear one; skip contour so the face stays flat like cloth.
- Nose. Outline a small triangle on the tip of the nose with the pencil, then fill it with lipstick.
- Cheeks. Swirl a round circle of lipstick or blush on each cheek apple, press powder blush on top, then add a second thin layer.
- Mouth. Smile gently and draw one line from each mouth corner out toward the cheek circles. Cross it with short vertical dashes for stitches.
- Lashes. Draw five or six short straight lines down from under each eye, like a cartoon doll. Use only the eyeliner here.
- Freckles and patches. Dot freckles across the nose, and add a small stitched square on a cheekbone or forehead if you like.
- Lips. Finish with the same lipstick as the nose so the colors match.
Real makers agree on the order. Half Blaked Ideas outlines the nose triangle in brown eyeliner before filling it with orange lipstick, because the line sets the shape and the color can’t wander. On Casey La Vie, Casey drew her cheeks with a red lip stain pencil instead of cream blush, because she expected cream blush to fade and lose its punch; she set the circles with powder and went over them again. And A Braided Blonde timed her own scarecrow face at about ten minutes, adding that the mouth and nose lines look cuter when they’re a little messy.
Two eye rules from the FDA’s eye cosmetic safety page matter here. Don’t use a lip liner as eyeliner, or any product near your eyes that isn’t made for them, since lip colors may carry additives not approved for the eye area. And don’t share eye pencils at a party. The FDA’s novelty makeup guidance adds a dab test on your arm for a couple of days for any product you’ve never used. For other faces built from the same pencil and lipstick, see our easy Halloween makeup looks by skill level.
How do you take scarecrow makeup off?
When the DIY scarecrow costume comes off, remove the makeup the way each product’s label says, starting with the eyes: hold a remover towelette on the drawn lashes for a few seconds, then wipe gently outward. Clear the lipstick nose and cheeks next, then wash with your usual cleanser. Never sleep in it, the FDA says.
- Eyes first: the skin there is delicate, the FDA notes, so press and wipe, don’t scrub.
- Follow the label: if a product says remove with eye makeup remover or soap and water, use that.
- Not in bed: makeup worn too long can irritate skin, and flakes can get into your eyes overnight.
- Stains: long-wear lipstick on cheeks may leave a pink ghost. A second gentle wash usually lifts it.
How do you keep a straw costume safe around candles?
Treat every straw option as something that can catch fire. The CPSC’s costume guidance recommends synthetic fabrics like nylon or polyester for homemade costumes and warns against flimsy materials. Keep a DIY scarecrow costume away from lit jack-o’-lanterns, use short cuffs, and tie the hat so it can’t block your view.
- Flame: under the Flammable Fabrics Act, costumes sold in stores must be flame resistant. The CPSC’s Halloween costume release points homemade builders to nylon and polyester and tells homeowners to keep candles and jack-o’-lanterns off doorsteps where costumes brush past.
- Shape: the same release warns against big, baggy sleeves. On a DIY scarecrow costume, keep straw tufts short and close to the wrist.
- Glue: knots and pins skip the hot glue gun entirely. A parent at Slightly Off Kilter glued real hay to sleeve and pant ends, called it the most dangerous part of the project, and burned herself a few times.
- Vision: the FDA’s Halloween safety tips favor makeup and hats over masks that block your view, and advise against decorative contact lenses unless an eye care professional fitted them. A painted face beats a burlap sack mask.
- After dark: brown and plaid vanish at night. The CPSC suggests reflective tape on the costume or treat bag.
Which scarecrow costume ideas go beyond the basic build?
The same DIY scarecrow costume base turns three ways. Go scary with darker browns, a wider stitched mouth and shadowed eyes. Go as a pair by adding a crow in black. Go small with soft yarn straw and pinned patches for a child. All three keep the flannel, the hat and the stitched face.
- Scary: swap the red cheeks for brown blush, drag the stitched smile up to the ears and shade under the eyes with the brown pencil (outside the lash line, not on it). Trade bright patches for brown and moss green.
- Couple: one person wears the scarecrow, the other goes all black with a paper beak on a headband and stands at the scarecrow’s shoulder. Our scarecrow and crow pair walks through the crow half with build time and cost.
- Kid: yarn instead of paper or jute, cuffs on hair ties so they come off in the car seat, and a lighter face with just the nose, cheeks and a short stitched smile.
By the numbers
- $7.50 buys the DIY scarecrow costume supplies at Dollar Tree on October 1, 2026: a paper grass skirt, felt roll, burlap ribbon, 100 safety pins and a bandana 2-pack.
- $5.00 covers the scarecrow makeup and cleanup: eyeliner pencils, lipstick, blush and remover towelettes. Total: $12.50.
- 256 feet of jute cord come on one $1.25 roll, enough straw for several DIY scarecrow costume cuffs and hat bands.
- About 2 hours of build time for the full DIY scarecrow costume, plus 15 to 20 minutes of makeup on the night.
- More than 3,500 Halloween-related injuries were reported over one October and November, according to the CPSC’s 2013 release, including burns and falls from ill-fitting costumes.
Remy’s verdict on the DIY scarecrow costume
If you only have one evening, this is a strong pick. A DIY scarecrow costume uses clothes you probably own, skips sewing and glue, and the face does half the work. Spend your effort on the cuffs: removable straw on hair ties is the difference between a costume you love at 7 p.m. and one you’re scratching off by 10.
The weak spot of a DIY scarecrow costume is darkness. Plaid and brown disappear on a dim street, so add reflective tape if you’re walking. Want more builds in the same spirit? Browse every DIY costume build on the site.
Stuck mid-build?
Quick fixes for the DIY scarecrow costume snags that show up the night before, when the thrift run is over and the straw is already on the table.
Can you make a scarecrow costume without overalls?
Yes. Old jeans with a bandana or rope tied as a belt read just as well, and patches on the knees do the farm-work look. Overalls are a bonus for a DIY scarecrow costume, not a requirement.
Is a scarecrow costume a good idea for a toddler?
A DIY scarecrow costume works well for a toddler if you swap paper or jute for soft straw-colored yarn and keep the cuffs removable. Small children don’t always say when a tuft scratches, so check wrists and neck after the first hour.
How long does scarecrow makeup take?
Plan 15 to 20 minutes the first time; one blogger who wrote up her look did it in about ten. Practice the stitched smile once the week before.
Can you use lipstick as blush for scarecrow cheeks?
Yes. Lipstick gives bold scarecrow cheeks and matches the nose, and some makers pick a lip color over cream blush because they expect it to last longer. Keep lip products away from the eye area, which the FDA advises against.
Can you reuse a DIY scarecrow costume next year?
Yes. Pinned patches and hair-tie cuffs come off for storage, the hat keeps its band, and the clothes go back in the closet. Only the makeup needs buying again.
How we researched this: Materials list and order of steps: standard craft-store items, with safety wording taken from the CPSC and FDA pages listed below and store prices from Dollar Tree listings checked October 1, 2026. The first pass came from an AI tool and was rewritten step by step.
Sources: CPSC costume and decor tips, FDA guidance on novelty makeup, FDA eye cosmetic safety, FDA Halloween safety tips, Dollar Tree product pages for the paper grass skirt, jute cord, felt rolls, burlap ribbon, safety pins, bandanas, eyeliner pencils, lipstick, blush and remover towelettes, plus maker write-ups from En Mi Casita, Another Stay Home Mommy Blog, the Myers family blog, Half Blaked Ideas, Casey La Vie, A Braided Blonde and Slightly Off Kilter.