While I have a lot of love for my rebel transvestite clown doll – see Foolish Wit – the craftsmanship left a lot to be desired, so I took the same basic instructions and attempted to make a better version, this time a friendly scarecrow called Hodmedod that my daughter might enjoy playing with.

The stick arms probably make it fairly unsafe, but what is play without a little risk? He’s stuffed with raffia, which I strategically poked out through the edges for that straw effect, and used scrap fabric for the clothes.

He’s not great, but he’s an improvement. And I managed not to make him too weird, I think.