Friday, October 2, 2009

Deck Out Your Fridays! "Stuck in the Ground"

One of my favorite decorations every year is easy for anyone to make. By October, the air's a little colder and the ground's a little harder making the gardens nearly disappear. I use this to my advantage to make my "Stuck in the Ground" man!

To make this, you'll need:
  • old clothes: shoes, pants, gloves
  • sturdy wire, dowels, or rods
  • stuffing: newspaper, plastic bags, small garbage bags, etc.
  • tape
  • optional: dismembered hands from your general Halloween store
  1. First, stuff the pants. (Jeans work really well because of their durability!) Over the years, I've found that placing a plastic bag(s) in the pants, then stuffing newspapers in the bag(s) works best. That way, if it rains, the paper won't get soggy causing the "legs" to wilt. Don't forget to tie off the bags!
  2. Secure your shoes to the ends of the pants. I'm still looking for the perfect way to do this without making it too complicated and time-consuming. In the past, I've simply taped them!
  3. If using gloves instead of purchased hands, following the same instructions for the pants.
  4. Pick out your plot of dirt. Approximate how wide your pants are, and place the dowels that far apart, (or a tiny bit more, for that tight fit). Slide the pants onto the dowels. *This process is unique to each decorator. I can get away with wires because my "man" happened to fall right in front of my house. I'm able to use the wall to lean his legs on. For any free standing decorations, you may have to use thicker, longer dowels or rods.*
  5. Follow the same process for the gloves/hands.
  6. Use dirt and leaves to fill and gaps or just make the "landing" look rough. Get creative!
Thoughts? Suggestions?

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