Written by the team behind Puzzlify. Puzzlify is our product, so weigh what follows with that in mind. We've tried to make this useful even if you never use it. We're not affiliated with any scarecrow festival, scarecrow trail, village festival committee, harvest festival, church, school, parent-teacher association, village hall, parish or town council, farm, show society or tourism organisation. Nothing here is legal, safeguarding, road safety, event safety or data protection advice; check your own festival's guidance on gifts, photos, entrants, homes and members' details.
It's eight o'clock on a Saturday morning in early October, and a retired farmer called Roger is reversing a trailer of straw bales up to the village hall door. The scarecrow festival starts at ten. By now there are already forty-one scarecrows standing along the main street, sitting on garden walls, leaning against the churchyard gate and perched on the bus shelter roof, because the people of the village spent the last two weeks building them out of old clothes, garden canes, pillowcases and a great deal of baling twine. The straw on Roger's trailer is for the last-minute repairs, because there is always one scarecrow whose head fell off in the night.
Inside the hall, a former accountant called Hazel is counting out trail maps into piles of fifty. Each map has a hand-drawn line round the village, a number for every scarecrow and a quiz at the bottom: name the scarecrow who is fishing from the bridge, count the pumpkins around the scarecrow by the post office, spot the scarecrow who is pretending to be a postman. Hazel drew the map herself, on the kitchen table, over three evenings, and then walked the whole route twice with a clipboard to make sure the numbers were in the right order.
By eleven the village is full. Families from the next town are walking the trail with pencils. A man in a high-visibility jacket called Tunde is waving cars into the field that the farmer at the top of the hill lends every year. In the hall, a team led by a woman called Sheila is cutting the fourth Victoria sponge of the morning and topping up the urn. Somewhere along the lane, the judges, three volunteers with clipboards and very serious expressions, are trying to decide between the scarecrow dressed as a deep-sea diver and the one riding a real wheelbarrow.
At five the trail closes, the rosettes are pinned on, the money is counted twice, and the cake plates are washed. On Monday morning, some of the scarecrows are already coming down, and a small group of volunteers walks the route again, picking up the straw that the wind has scattered along the pavements.
If you've ever walked a village scarecrow trail with a quiz sheet and a slice of cake, laughed at a scarecrow sitting on a bench reading the newspaper, or put a vote in a box for your favourite, you've met scarecrow festival volunteers, whether you knew it or not. This guide is about saying thank you to them, in words first and, if it fits, with a small digital jigsaw made from a photo of the scarecrows they made happen.
Who we mean
Scarecrow festivals come in all shapes. Some are a single weekend in a small village, with a dozen scarecrows and a tea in the church. Some run for a whole week in summer or half-term and bring in thousands of visitors. Some are part of a harvest festival, an autumn trail at half-term or a summer fete. Some have a theme each year, such as nursery rhymes, film characters or famous inventors; some are a free-for-all. Most raise money for something local: a church roof, a school, a village hall, a playground or a charity. Almost all of them run on volunteers. You'll usually find:
- the organising committee, who choose the dates and the theme, deal with the parish council, the insurance and the risk assessment, and answer every email;
- the treasurer, who looks after the map sales, the cake money and the donations, and makes sure it all reaches the cause it was raised for;
- the trail and map volunteers, who plan the route, number the scarecrows, draw the map and write the quiz;
- the entries secretary, who keeps the list of who is making a scarecrow and where it will stand;
- the map sellers and welcome volunteers, who sit at the start of the trail with a float, a stack of maps and a smile;
- the car park and road volunteers, who direct traffic, keep the lanes safe and help visitors cross the road;
- the judges, who walk the trail with clipboards and somehow pick a winner without upsetting anyone;
- the teas and cake volunteers, who bake, serve and wash up in the hall all weekend;
- the scarecrow builders, including the ones who make scarecrows for neighbours who can't, and the person who always makes the big one at the village sign;
- the publicity and social media volunteers, who put up the posters and tell the neighbouring villages;
- the clear-up crew, who collect the straw, the stray hats and the lost gloves on Monday morning.
And behind all of them, the partners and families at home who have learned to find straw in the washing machine, accept that every old shirt in the house might become a scarecrow, and help carry a life-sized pirate down the garden path at seven in the morning.
The words matter most
The thank-you that most scarecrow festival volunteers remember is the one that tells them exactly what they did and why it mattered. "Thanks for a lovely weekend" is kind. "Thank you for making a scarecrow for Mum when she couldn't manage one this year" is the one that gets kept.
If you're not sure what to say, these questions might help:
- What did they do that you saw, or that you only found out about later?
- What did it make possible: a new roof for the church, a village full of visitors, a child's first quiz sheet completed, neighbours talking to each other for the first time?
- What will you remember about the festival because of them?
A few honest sentences, handwritten or typed, are worth more than any present. Everything else in this guide is optional.
Who might send one
A photo jigsaw isn't right for everyone, and it doesn't replace a card or a thank-you at the clear-up. It tends to suit:
- a volunteer who is stepping down, moving away or handing over a role after many years;
- a committee or a whole volunteer team, as a shared thank-you after the festival weekend;
- a volunteer who is unwell or couldn't take part this year and misses it;
- a partner or family member who has supported someone through years of straw, twine and cake;
- a former resident who now lives far away and still asks what this year's theme was;
- someone who likes small puzzles on a phone or tablet in the evening.
It's less suited to someone who doesn't use screens at all, or who would feel awkward about a gift. In those cases, a card and a slice of cake at the next meeting are perfect.
Gifts, festivals and good manners
Most scarecrow festivals are small, friendly and raise money for a good cause. A few things to keep in mind:
- Festival money: if you're thinking of a thank-you paid for from festival funds, check with the committee first. The map sales, cake money and donations are usually meant for the cause, and people gave because of it.
- Scarecrows stand outside people's homes: most entries are in front gardens, on walls and by front doors. Take photos from the pavement, never step into a garden without asking, and keep house numbers, house names, windows, doors and cars out of the frame.
- Entrants' work: a scarecrow is someone's creation, often made by a family over many evenings. For a private thank-you, a photo of it is usually fine, but if you're sharing it more widely, ask the maker.
- Scarecrows that look like real people: some scarecrows are affectionate caricatures of local characters. Leave those out of a gift photo unless the person they're based on has agreed.
- Children and young people: many scarecrows are made by children, schools, Brownies or Cubs, and many visitors are families. Never photograph children without the right permission, and don't include them in a gift photo at all. Photograph the scarecrow, not the person standing next to it.
- Roads and lanes: don't stand in the road to get the shot. Step back onto the pavement, or wait until the trail is quiet.
- Entrants' and members' details: keep names, addresses, phone numbers and the entries list private.
None of this should stop you saying thank you. It just means keeping it simple and kind.
When to send it
The scarecrow festival year has natural moments for a thank-you:
- on the Monday after the festival, when the scarecrows are coming down and everyone is tired and pleased;
- when the total is announced, and the church, school or hall knows how much was raised;
- at the committee's wash-up meeting, when someone hands over a role;
- at harvest time or half-term, if your village has an autumn trail;
- when the next year's theme is chosen, as a way of saying "thank you for last year";
- when someone moves away or steps down, whenever that happens.
There's no wrong time to say thank you, but a thank-you that arrives close to the moment it's about tends to land best.
Why a jigsaw can fit
Scarecrows are made from a lot of small pieces: an old jacket, a pair of wellies, a straw hand poking out of a sleeve, a painted face on a pillowcase. A jigsaw is made from a lot of small pieces too. Putting together a photo of the scarecrows along the lane, piece by piece, gives the person a few quiet minutes with a weekend they worked hard for.
And because the note appears when the last piece clicks in, the thank-you arrives at the end, like the moment the rosette goes on. That's the part people tend to remember.
It also travels. A volunteer who has moved to another town or another country can't come back for the festival weekend, but they can open a link on a winter evening and spend ten minutes walking the trail again.
If you're thanking the organising committee
The committee carries the parts of the festival that nobody sees: the insurance, the risk assessment, the road closure questions, the emails with the parish council, the year it rained all weekend and they kept going anyway. A photo of the whole trail from the top of the hill, or the main street lined with scarecrows before the visitors arrive, works well, with a note that names something specific: "Thank you for the risk assessment, the rain plan and every phone call. The church roof is fixed because of you."
If you're thanking the trail and map volunteers
The map is the festival. A photo of a stack of maps on the welcome table with a jar of pencils, or a single scarecrow with its trail number pinned to its chest, makes a cheerful puzzle. Keep any entrant's name or house name out of the shot.
If you're thanking the map sellers and welcome volunteers
Welcome volunteers sit in the wind with a float and a stack of maps for hours. A photo of the welcome table before the first visitor, with the bunting, the sign and the honesty box, is a good choice, as long as the cash tin and the float are out of the frame.
If you're thanking the car park and road volunteers
Car park volunteers keep everyone safe and rarely see the scarecrows themselves. A photo of the borrowed field with the gate open and the straw bales marking the way, taken before the cars arrive, can be a lovely thank-you. Keep car registrations, faces and the farmer's house out of the picture.
If you're thanking the judges
Judging a scarecrow competition is harder than it looks. A photo of the winning scarecrow with its rosette, or a row of three finalists on a wall, might be the right image, with a note about how fair and kind they were. If the winner is outside someone's home, crop it tightly to the scarecrow.
If you're thanking the teas and cake volunteers
The tea room is where visitors rest and where a lot of the money is raised. A photo of the cake table before the doors open, with every slice in its place, is colourful and full of detail. Keep prices, names on labels and the cash box out of the frame.
If you're thanking the people who made a scarecrow for someone else
Some volunteers quietly make scarecrows for elderly neighbours, for people who are unwell or for a house that would otherwise have been left out. A photo of that scarecrow, cropped tightly so the house doesn't show, with a note that says what it meant, can be a very warm thank-you.
If you live with a scarecrow festival volunteer
If your partner, parent or friend is the one who has had a half-built scarecrow in the shed since August and keeps asking whether you still need that coat, a puzzle can be a small, private thank-you for all the evenings. A photo of their scarecrow in the shed before it went out, the pile of donated clothes on the kitchen floor or the scarecrow on your own wall, with no house number in sight, can mean a lot.
When a long-serving volunteer steps down
When someone who has run the festival or drawn the map for many years hands over their role, a bigger puzzle can mark the moment. A 130- or 252-piece puzzle of the busiest stretch of the trail, shared with the committee so everyone can add a line to the card that goes with it, is a warm way to say goodbye. Some villages name a trophy after a founding volunteer or make a scarecrow in their honour; a puzzle can sit alongside that, not replace it.
In memory of a member
Festivals are often where a village remembers someone. If a volunteer or a well-loved scarecrow maker has died and their family would welcome it, a photo of the scarecrow they made, the spot where it always stood or the trophy that now bears their name can become a gentle puzzle for their family. Always ask the family first, and let them decide whether they'd like it. A quiet note is often enough: "This was his scarecrow. The village missed it this year."
For scarecrow festivals elsewhere
We've used UK-style words like "scarecrow festival" and "parish council", but the same volunteers exist in many places: scarecrow trails and scarecrow contests in small towns in the United States and Canada, autumn scarecrow walks at farm parks and botanical gardens, scarecrow festivals in country towns in Australia and New Zealand, and village festivals across Ireland and Europe, some with their own long traditions of straw figures at harvest time.
Whatever the name, the roles are similar: someone plans the route, someone sells the maps, someone keeps the cars safe, someone bakes the cake and someone stays behind to pick up the straw. The guidance here should work for any of them. Check your own festival's rules on photos, gifts, entrants and homes.
Photo ideas and consent
The best photos for a scarecrow festival thank-you are often the ones with no real people in them at all, just the scarecrows. Some ideas:
- a row of scarecrows sitting on a low wall, with fields or hedges behind;
- the big welcome scarecrow by the village sign at first light;
- a single scarecrow on a straw bale with pumpkins at its feet;
- a close-up of a patched jacket, a straw hand and a button nose;
- the winning scarecrow with its rosette, cropped tightly;
- the welcome table with maps, pencils and bunting, before the first visitor;
- the cake table in the hall, before the doors open;
- the trailer of straw bales outside the hall on the first morning;
- a scarecrow sitting on the churchyard bench or by the lychgate;
- the pile of donated old clothes, hats and wellies waiting to become scarecrows.
Things to keep out of the frame:
- faces of real people, unless they have agreed;
- children and young people, at any time, including school entries and families on the trail;
- house numbers, house names, front doors, windows, cars on driveways and car registrations;
- street signs and anything else that shows exactly where someone lives;
- scarecrows that are caricatures of real local people, unless that person has agreed;
- the entries list, the cash tin, the float, the honesty box contents and the donations book;
- posters or notices with phone numbers, email addresses or names;
- anything that might upset someone, such as a scarecrow made by a member who has since died, unless their family has agreed.
If the photo has people in it, ask them first. A photo of the scarecrows on their own is often the easiest and best choice, and the scarecrows never mind.
Getting the JPG right
Puzzlify works from a JPG. Most phone and camera photos are already JPGs, or can be saved as one. A few practical tips:
- straw and pale fabrics can look washed out in bright midday sun; early morning, late afternoon or a soft cloudy day often works better;
- straw, tweed, knitted scarves, pumpkins and autumn leaves make wonderful puzzles, because every piece has texture and colour;
- landscape images usually make the most comfortable puzzles on a phone turned sideways;
- if the photo came from a camera in RAW format, export it as a JPG first; if your phone saves photos in another format, change the setting to "most compatible" or export a copy as JPG;
- large areas of plain sky, tarmac or grass get tricky, so crop them or choose fewer pieces;
- if the photo has a house number, a car registration or a front window in the background, crop it out or retake it from a different angle;
- remove location data from the photo before you upload it, because a scarecrow photo is usually taken outside someone's home. On most phones, you can switch it off in the share options or the camera settings.
Privacy, an optional PIN, and saying it's from you
The puzzle is private: it's shared as a link, not posted on a public board. You can add an optional PIN so that only someone who knows it can open the puzzle, which is useful if you're sending it to a committee email list or a village group chat. Even so, treat the photo as if it might be forwarded, and keep anything private out of it.
Many volunteers, especially secretaries and treasurers who get a steady stream of odd emails, are rightly wary of unexpected links. Say who it's from and what it is in the message itself: "This is a little jigsaw of the scarecrows along the lane from this year's festival, with a note at the end. It's from me, and it's safe to open." If you're sending it to someone who doesn't use email much, hand it over as a QR code inside a card at the wash-up meeting.
How many pieces?
| Pieces | Feels like | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | one scarecrow on a gate | a few minutes |
| 48 | a short stretch of the lane | around 5–10 minutes |
| 80 | half the trail, with a stop for cake | around 10–20 minutes |
| 130 | the whole trail, quiz sheet finished | around 20–40 minutes |
| 252 | the whole weekend, judging included | an hour or more |
If you're not sure, 48 or 80 pieces suits most people on a phone. Keen puzzlers may want the hardest version, but pale straw, grey sky and plain walls get tricky at high piece counts, so start lower if the image has large areas of one colour.
The leaderboard: only for a group
If you're sending one puzzle to the whole committee or every volunteer, the optional leaderboard lets everyone see who finished first. Some villages may enjoy a bit of friendly rivalry, which suits a festival that is already a competition; others would rather just solve it quietly. If it's a personal thank-you to one volunteer, you probably don't need it.
A few note ideas
- "To Roger: every bale, every head put back on, every year. Thank you."
- "To Hazel: three evenings on the map and two walks with a clipboard. It was perfect. Thank you."
- "To Tunde: you kept every car safe and never saw a single scarecrow. Thank you."
- "To the cake team: four Victoria sponges by eleven. Thank you for every slice."
- "To whoever made Mum's scarecrow: she waved at it every morning. Thank you."
- "To my husband: thank you for the straw in the washing machine, and for carrying the pirate."
(Change the names, and keep anything personal or identifying out of a puzzle that may be shared.)
How to make one (about a minute of setup)
- Open Puzzlify's puzzle maker in a browser: https://puzzlify.app/en/puzzle-maker/
- Upload your JPG: the scarecrows along the lane, the winning scarecrow, the welcome table or the cake table.
- Pick a piece count from 24 to 252.
- Write your note. It appears when the last piece goes in.
- Add a PIN if you want one, and preview it for free.
- When you're happy, publish the link and send it by email or message, print it as a QR code inside a card, or ask the festival secretary to pass it on.
Honest pricing and notes
Making and previewing a puzzle is free in your browser. You only pay when you publish the link to send it: one credit is EUR 3.99, three credits are EUR 8.99, and Plus is EUR 14.99 a year for ten credits, which can make sense if you want to thank several volunteers separately. The person you send it to doesn't need an account or an app; they just open the link in a browser.
This is a digital jigsaw you play on a screen. It isn't a cardboard puzzle in the post, a printed product or a public puzzle board, and it isn't connected to any scarecrow festival, village committee, council or charity. It's also not puzzlify.io (a chess site), Puzzlit, Puzzly or Puzzify, which are different things.
Ideas that are not a puzzle
Honestly, some of the best thank-yous for scarecrow festival volunteers cost nothing at all:
- a handwritten card, pushed through the door or handed over at the wash-up meeting;
- making a scarecrow yourself next year, or helping a neighbour who can't;
- volunteering for a shift on the welcome table, the car park or the washing-up;
- staying behind on Monday to help pick up the straw;
- baking a cake for the tea room, or buying a second slice;
- offering your skills: drawing the map, designing the poster, a lift for a volunteer who doesn't drive, or help with the risk assessment;
- writing a few kind words about the festival for the parish newsletter or a local listings site;
- a flask of hot tea for the car park volunteers on a cold morning, which never fails.
If a photo puzzle feels right as well, choose the scarecrows along the lane, the winner with its rosette, the welcome table or the cake table, keep faces, children, house numbers, cars and anyone's home out of the frame, pick a piece count and add your note. You only pay if you decide to send it. You can open Puzzlify's photo puzzle maker and try a free preview first.
Whatever you send, the most important part is the sentence that sounds like you, written to the person who brought the straw, drew the map, numbered forty-one scarecrows, waved the cars into the field, cut the fourth sponge of the morning and walked the lane on Monday picking up what the wind had scattered, so that next year, there would still be scarecrows on the walls.
Written by the small team behind Puzzlify (info@puzzlify.app). Not legal, safeguarding, road safety, event safety or privacy advice. Check your own festival's guidance on gifts, photos, entrants, homes and members' details.