Pour 1 cup, or 8 fluid ounces (240ml), of warm water into a large mixing bowl. Also add 12 ounces (340g) each of white flour and table salt. Mix the ingredients into a smooth liquid. This creates a quick-drying, non-toxic paint safe for children of any age. Adjust the amount of each ingredient you use to create more or less paint. Keep the ingredients in the same ratio. Distribute the paint evenly among a few small bowls or squeeze bottles. Resealable plastic bags also work well with this kind of paint. With a zippered plastic bag, you can cut a corner later to let out a steady drip of paint. This eliminates overturned paint containers and reduces messes. Choose a paint color, then squeeze 2 or 3 drops of food coloring into the paint. Give yourself a color palette by mixing a different color into each container. You can add more drops as needed if the paint's color isn't dark enough. If you can't find a specific food coloring, mix drops of other colors. For example, try adding 3 drops of red and 1 drop of blue to make purple. If your paint is in open containers, stir it with a spoon or another utensil. For bottles or bags, close the container and shake or squeeze it. Keep doing this until the paint becomes a consistent color. If you are using resealable bags, leave the bag open slightly so that excess air can escape. Be careful to avoid squeezing the paint out of the opening. Paint made using a flour mixture may seem pretty thick at first. To thin the paint, gradually pour more water into the container. Mix the ingredients together until the paint is exactly how you want it. Since the paint is non-toxic, you can safely touch it with your fingers as well as pour it from the container. This paint tends to be a little thicker than traditional store-bought paints, so it isn't quite as easy to spread. The best paper to use is watercolor paper from an art supply store. The paper is made of wood pulp or cotton and may hold up better than regular printer paper. You can also try similar flat surfaces such as cardboard, cardstock, or canvases. Store excess paint in a closed container in the refrigerator. The paint should be safe to use for about 2 weeks. However, it may harden over time.

Summary: Pour white flour, water, and salt in a bowl. Divide the paint into separate containers. Pour 2 drops of food coloring into the paint. Stir the paint to mix in the food coloring. Add more water to thin the paint. Use the paint on paper and refrigerate excess.

Visit a craft store, toy store, or another establishment that sells costuming supplies. Purchase a foam hat. Pick a style that seems appropriate for your scarecrow in terms of shape, but don't worry about other features like color, since it will be covered with burlap in the end. Unroll a large swath of burlap and center your hat on top of it, right way up. Trace a circle (or whichever shape matches that of your particular hat) around the hat. Make it large enough for the circle to cover all of the hat's exterior, with at least a few extra inches between the brim and your circle. Use fabric scissors to cut the circle free from the roll of burlap. If you're worried about making your circle too small, err on the side of caution and go for one that's too big. The excess can be repurposed later on if you need to trim it off. First, drape your burlap circle over your hat and center it. Make sure it's long enough to hang over the brim by a few inches on all sides. Then lift the burlap's loose end and apply glue to a swath of the hat's brim. Press the burlap down into the glue to stick the two together. Then: Use pins if needed to secure glued areas in place so the burlap doesn't move around as you work. Continue applying beads of glue along the brim and pressing the burlap into it until you have completed the whole brim. Secure the burlap with pins if desired to keep it in place while the glue dries. Cut out a new length of burlap. Make it long enough to wrap around the hat's crown and then overlap itself by an inch or so. Glue the back of one end to the burlap circle, wrap the length around the crown, and glue the back of the free end to where it overlaps the first end. Cut out some small squares of burlap from your roll. Or, if you needed to trim any excess material from your circle, cut some squares from that. Glue these "patches" where desired to accentuate the scarecrow's patched-together look.

Summary: Select a foam hat. Trace an outline on your burlap. Cut out the outline. Glue the burlap to your hat. Make a band for your hat. Add some patches.

While everyone relaxes differently, find something that works for you. You may try simply visualizing a calming scene, releasing tension in your muscles, practicing breathing, or meditation. Try to work on a relaxation technique that can be done anywhere at anytime. This way, when you encounter your phobia, you can overcome your fear. Be as detailed as possible and include all types of experiences, from the mildly anxious to terrifying. This will help you tackle your fear at a variety of levels. For example, if you are afraid of heights, you might encounter them in the following situations: hiking on a mountain, flying in an air plane, and going up a sky scraper in an elevator. After compiling the list, you may notice similar variables between certain types of fear. For example, you may find that you have a terrifying reaction to flying and riding in an elevator. You may realize that both involve small spaces. If you have multiple phobias, such as snakes, spiders, and clowns, choose one to start with. It is easier to tackle one phobia at a time. Order your list of situations by how anxious or fearful they make you. Start your list with the situations that only make you mildly anxious or tense. Place the scariest situations towards the end of your list. For example, if you are afraid of dogs, your list might start off with simply looking at a picture of a dog, and progress to seeing a dog outside your window, across the street, and end with petting a large dog off its leash. Your list may not be very long or it can be incredibly lengthy. What matters is that you have a guide to deal with your phobia. You should start by visualizing the least upsetting item. Practice relaxing until you feel your muscles lose their tension. Once you've done this for a minute, take a break and repeat the exercise a few more times. Once you have mastered an item, move on to the next one until you've reached your most feared situation. Some items might take a lot longer to master than others. For example, you might get over looking at a picture of a spider a lot quicker than actually having to hold a spider in your hand. Don't be afraid to ask someone for help if you find yourself stuck, or unable to work through an item on your list. He or she may be able to help you work through your fear. Once you've worked through your situation list by visualizing and relaxing, find your phobia in real life. By now, you should be well trained in relaxing. Start with situations that produce little anxiety before encountering the scarier items on your list. Even once you've overcome your most dreaded fear, keep exposing yourself to it so that you don't let the fear return. This repeated exposure will allow you to manage your response. Perhaps one of the reasons you are so afraid of dogs is because you've had a bad experience with one as a child. Your mind held on to this, and turned it into a phobia. Once you conquered your fear of dogs and managed to pet a large dog without feeling anxious, go out and treat yourself. Have an ice cream cone or a fancy latte. Your mind may start to associate good things with the very thing you used to fear.
Summary: Enter the exercise feeling relaxed. Write down situations where you encounter your phobia. Rank your situations. Imagine the first item on your list. Gradually work through your list. Seek out your situations in reality. Continue to confront your fear. Reward yourself for a job well done.