Building a Traditional Scarecrow for Our New Home 🏡👨‍🌾

Today I would like to share a unique and memorable experience that I had with my mother while working on our newly building house.

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In Sri Lanka, there is a long-standing belief that hanging a scarecrow or a symbolic figure at a construction site helps protect the house from the "evil eye" and unwanted negative attention. Although some people see it as a cultural tradition and others as a superstition, it remains a common sight at many newly constructed homes across the country.
Since our new house is currently under construction, my mother suggested that we make a scarecrow ourselves instead of buying one. I thought it would be a fun and meaningful activity, so we decided to create it together.

Collecting the Materials

The best part was that we did not have to spend any money. We gathered materials that were already available at home:
✔️ An old pair of trousers
✔️ A worn-out checked shirt
✔️ Two wooden planks
✔️ A few nails
✔️ Some old clothes and fabric pieces for stuffing
✔️ A black clay pot for the head
It was wonderful to see how simple discarded items could be transformed into something creative.

Creating the Frame

First, we joined two wooden planks together in the shape of a cross using nails. This became the basic skeleton of our scarecrow. After that, we dressed the frame with the old shirt and trousers.
Then we filled the clothes with old fabric pieces to give the scarecrow a human-like shape. Little by little, it started to look like a real person standing in front of us.

_sketch

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Adding the Face

The most enjoyable part was making the head. We used an old black clay pot and painted simple eyes, a nose, and a smiling mouth. The funny face instantly gave the scarecrow its own personality.
Looking at it, we could not stop laughing because it looked both amusing and welcoming at the same time.

A Symbol of Tradition

Many visitors from other countries may not know about this Sri Lankan custom. When a house is being built, people often hang a scarecrow, an old shoe, or other symbolic objects to ward off jealousy and bad luck. Whether one believes in these traditions or not, they are deeply connected to our culture and village life.
For me, the scarecrow was more than just a tradition. It became a symbol of teamwork, creativity, and the excitement of seeing our dream home slowly become a reality.

Final Thoughts

This was a completely new experience for me. What started as a simple idea turned into a memorable activity shared with my mother. Sometimes the happiest moments come from the simplest things, and this scarecrow will always remind me of the journey of building our future home.

Thank you for reading my post. Have you ever made a scarecrow or followed a unique tradition while building a house? I would love to hear your experiences in the comments!

Every home begins with a foundation of bricks and cement, but it becomes special through the memories, traditions, and love that are built alongside it. ❤️🏡

With Love,
Dhanu 🩷