Whether you're of Irish descent or you just want to enjoy a little luck o' the Irish by sprucing up your house with some festive St. Patrick's Day decoration ideas, this article will give you seven different fun ideas that you can easily do yourself.
1 . A Paper Leprechaun Hat
Perfect for placement on a mantelpiece or table, this easy to make DIY leprechaun hat is also ideal for St. Patrick's Day parties.
What You'll Need
- Craft/X-acto knife
- Ruler or straight edge
- Green card stock (in one or more shades)
- Glue gun
- 3-inch hole punch
- Pencil or pen
- Plastic headband
- Paper scoring tool
- Leprechaun Hat pattern
- Black ribbon
- Gold paper
Instructions
Download the Leprechaun Hat pattern from the link above and cut the various pieces from your green card stock. Then score the "teeth" on the sides of the rectangular part of the pattern, and fold them to the inside. Roll the sides of the pieces together to form a cylinder. Cut out the brim of the hat, and slightly curl it using a pencil or pen.
From there, you'll fold the teeth up and attach it to the cylinder part. Using a hot glue gun, glue the edges of the brim and attach it to the cylinder part. Use your 3-inch hole to cut out the top of the hat and attach it to the other end of the hat brim with hot glue. You can add decorative touches by making a band using the black ribbon and a square shape with the gold paper to make the "buckle" on the ribbon. Attach the finished Leprechaun Hat to a headband with hot glue.
2. Paper Shamrocks
Perfect for crafters of all abilities, paper shamrocks are a great way to add some lucky green to any interior space.
What You'll Need
- Glue gun
- Double-sided paper in two shades of green
- Paper cutter/scissors
- Ribbon or string to hang the finished shamrock
Instructions
Cut the paper into 1.5 inches wide by 8 inches long strips (you'll need four strips for every colour green you are using). Fold one strip in half to make a half heart shape, then fold a second strip the same way to make a mirror image and glue them together, which should make a heart shape. Repeat the process with 1.5 x 6-inch strips to make smaller hearts.
In the fold or "crook" of the larger heart, place a line of glue. Attach the end of the larger heart into the smaller heart to make one of the four "leaves" of the shamrock. Repeat until you have four complete leaves. Now, take a long strip of paper to use as the stem of the shamrock. Attach the leaves to the stem and then attach the completed shamrock to your ribbon or string!
3. Pipe Cleaner Shamrocks
This one is quick and easy enough that even your kids can help you. They'll have fun showing off these pipe cleaner shamrocks to their friends!
What You'll Need
- Green pipe cleaners
Instructions
Put your middle three fingers together. With the stem of the pipe cleaner in your palm, loop the pipe cleaner around your left-most finger and continue until you have three loops. Trim off any extra length from the stem. Super easy!
4. Lucky Wreath
What is St. Patrick's without some extra luck? You can create your own when you try this lucky wreath craft.
What You'll Need
- Pool/swimming noodles (check the dollar store for these!)
- Green yarn
- Hot Glue
- Scissors
Instructions
Using your scissors, section a noodle into four long strips. Curl one strip and connect the two ends with hot glue. Wrap your yarn around the glued area, and tie it off with a knot. Now, pinch the curve of the loop until it resembles a heart shape and use the yarn to tie off the curve in the loop which will lock in the heart shape. Repeat the process with the other three strips. From there, you'll wrap the entire wreath in green yarn and glue it together to form a shamrock shape.
5. Shamrock Mason Jars
Fast and easy to make, these shamrock mason jars make a great centrepiece for a St. Patrick's Day party.
What You'll Need
- Pint-sized mason jars
- Gold spray paint
- Green acrylic paint
- Toothpicks
- Medium tip paint brush
Instructions
In a well-ventilated area (outside if you can!), spray paint the mason jars with the gold paint. Then using the green paint and your paint brush, add three dots in a cluster to simulate a shamrock's leaves. Take a toothpick and pull down some paint from the bottom of your cluster to create the shamrock's stem. Repeat until the mason jar has a full shamrock motif!
6. St. Patrick's Day Skittles Decoration
As long as you can resist the temptation to eat all the candy before this wonderful DIY art project is done, you'll add a lot of festive colour to your home.
What You'll Need
- Family size bag of Skittles or other multicoloured candies
- Glue gun
- Styrofoam cones
Instructions
Enlist the kids for the first part - you need to separate the different colours of the candies into separate bowls. Then, add a drop of glue to one of the candies (the "S" side if using Skittles) and stick onto the Styrofoam cone. Continue adding candies to create fun and colourful patterns. That's it!
7. Burlap Shamrock
This burlap craft is a great way to add lovely earth tones to any St. Patrick's Day party decor.
What You'll Need
- Shamrock stencil
- Scissors
- Burlap
- Paint brush
- White or green paint
You can either buy a shamrock stencil or use existing decorations as an impromptu stencil for this project.
Instructions
Cut the burlap into a square, making sure it's a little bit bigger on all sides than the stencil. Use your chosen colour to paint the burlap by following the inside of the stencil. Let the burlap dry completely. Hang the completed burlap shamrock with a string or use a dowel along the top, secured with twine.
Note: Dab or use minimal paint to created a more vintage, faded look.
With just a few simple materials and a little time, it's easy to put together a variety of festive St. Patrick's Day decorations for your home. Whether you're an expert crafter or want to share a fun activity with your children, these DIY St. Patrick Day projects are sure to add a touch o' the Irish to your holiday fun.
