13 Fun St. Patrick’s Day Crafts

Leprechaun Beard

Let your little leprechauns look the part with our easy-to-make beard.

1. Cut out a beard shape from corrugated cardboard with the corrugations running vertically.
2. Glue orange faux fur ($12, Amazon) to the cardboard and trim it into a beard shape.
3. Place a bit of glue on the end of a bamboo skewer, then insert it into one of the center flutes of the cardboard. Let the glue dry before employing the disguise.

Leprechaun Traps

Inspired by the book How to Catch a Leprechaun ($10, Barnes & Noble), leprechaun traps are the hottest kids' craft trend right now. Here's how it works: Read the book with your kids, then help them set up a "trap" for the magical leprechaun that visits on St. Patrick's Day. It's just like Elf on the Shelf, but you don't have to remember to move anything around—a parent's dream come true!

Grab a box and set your little leprechauns loose with paper, glue, and markers. We love this creative setup by Kellie from The Suburban Soapbox if you need inspiration.

St. Patrick's Day Pinwheel

All you need to get your shamrock spinning is a simple puff of air!

1. Cut out a shamrock shape from double-sided scrapbooking paper.
2. Press a tack through the center of the pinwheel and into the side of a pencil's eraser, leaving a bit of space so the paper can turn freely.
3. Blow on the side of the shamrock for the best spin.

Wearable Four-Leaf Clover Craft

A few supplies, including our free four-leaf clover template (available below), green felt, heart buttons, watercolors ($4, Target), and a hair clip or pin, create a no-fail way to avoid getting pinched this March 17.

Shamrock Hats

Use a package of green paper plates ($6, Amazon) and use a few clever cuts to transform the plates into shamrock shapes.

1. On the paper plate, draw a circle about 1-3/4 inches from the edge. Draw your shamrock inside this circle, with the base of the shape touching the line.
2. Cut out the shape and the head hole along the curved line, then bend up the shape. Have your child try on the hat, and widen the head hole as needed.
3. Decorate the hat with paint, crayons, markers, and glitter.

St. Patrick's Day Goody Bags

Kids of all ages will love making these St. Patrick's Day goody bags! To make them, fill a cellophane bag ($6 for 100, Amazon) with various colored green candies. Then, stitch a festive piece of fabric and a home-printed tag across the top using the zigzag stitch on a sewing machine.

Swinging Shamrocks

Bright green shamrocks are the quintessential St. Patrick's Day decor idea.

1. Cut four half-inch rings from a flattened cardboard tube, then cut through one of the folds on each ring.
2. For three rings, bend and glue the two ends to form a heart-shaped leaf. Fold the fourth ring into a triangular stem and glue the ends together.
3. Glue the stem between two leaves, then glue on the third.
4. Paint the shamrock green. When it's dry, hang it with fishing line or string.

Cupcake Toppers

Amp up your favorite St. Patrick's Day desserts with some adorable cupcake toppers that take only a few minutes to pull together. Back a festive St. Pat's sticker on sparkly green cardstock and hot glue it to a toothpick. If you're looking for a tasty cupcake recipe, try our Hidden Clover Cupcakes.

Leprechaun Doughnuts

Satisfy any wee visitors this St. Patrick's Day with a box full of tiny O-shape cereal disguised as adorable doughnuts.

Make Chocolate Sprinkle Doughnuts:

Dip the tops of O-shaped cereal into melted dark or white chocolate (the tines of a fork work well for this) and cover with sprinkles.

Make Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts:

Over medium-high heat, dissolve 1/2 cup sugar in 1/2 cup water. Let cool. Dip the Os, a few at a time, in the syrup, then toss them in a small bowl of cinnamon sugar.

Lucky Four-Leaf Clover Pins

Create your own luck with an easy four-leaf clover pin. Use a shamrock cookie cutter ($8, Amazon) as a stencil to cut clover shapes from different colors of green felt, layer the pieces together, and secure using glue. Embellish the clover with buttons, ribbon, and other trims. Adhere a safety pin to the back.

Celtic Stencil Art

Irish Celtic stencils and a box of watercolors are all you need to whip up a pair of sophisticated art pieces. Lay a Celtic design stencil on a sheet of watercolor paper using painters tape to secure it. Fill in the design using watercolor paint (a light touch will help you create variated light and dark areas for depth); let dry. Lay the design on crafts paper (use a coordinating color to give it a matted look), and display it in a simple glass-clip frame.

Four Leaf Clover Door Hanging

Bring a touch of luck into your home with a festive St. Patrick's Day door hanging. Start with wooden shamrock shapes (available at most craft stores).

1. Use spray adhesive to attach a variety of green scrapbook papers to the wooden shapes and let dry.
2. With a utility knife or scissors, cut out the shamrock shapes. Apply Mod Podge ($6, Target) with a foam brush and let dry.
3. Attach the shapes to ribbon using glue dots, then add scrapbook letters to each one. Top the hanging with a wooden "luck" cutout.

Paper Shamrocks

To dress up any area of your home, you only need a shamrock-shaped paper punch ($11, Walmart) and some green paper. Then, make a shamrock-shaped confetti, or fill a bowl or vase with them to use as a festive centerpiece.