Mar
12
2015

DIY Rainbow Shamrock Garland

Fold, Cut and Tape Your Way to a Pot of Gold

DIY Rainbow Shamrock Garland

Making a shamrock garland using rainbow paper is a terrific St. Patrick's Day activity for kids.

I'm not big on leprechauns. In fact, the thought of them kind of freaks me out. I think it has something to do with the shoes.

However, when it comes to St. Patrick's Day, shamrocks and rainbows are symbols I can get really my head around.

For this March craft, you will need the following:

  • Construction paper (rainbow colours, ideally)
  • Scissors
  • Ribbon
  • Tape or Glue
  • Pencil

To begin with, you will need a sheet of construction paper.

Start with a sheet of construction paper.

Fold the paper in half. Once.

Fold the construction paper in half.

On the folded side (this is important) draw half of a heart, near the top. Incidentally, I used black marker, only so my lines would show up on these photographs. A pencil is a more prudent choice.

Draw half of a heart shape on the folded side of the paper.

Now, draw a full heart outline, making sure it touches the half-heart outline. We don't want any spaces left open here.

Draw a full heart that joins up with the half heart.

Draw a stem.

Draw a stem.

Cut it out!

Cut the shamrock out of the paper.

Now use that shamrock as a template and trace around it on different sheets of paper. My goal was to have shamrocks in each of the colours of the rainbow.

Use the cut-out shamrock as a template.

Remember Roy G. Biv (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet)? Our construction paper doesn't come in indigo so my daughter used an indigo crayon on blue paper to remedy that.

Rainbow coloured shamrocks.

Speaking of my daughter, she was keen to do this project, until... she wasn't. However, here's photographic proof that even a six-year-old can make these shamrocks (as long as you aren't pulling her away from her Lego).

Kids of all ages can make these cute cut-out shamrocks.

Once you have a number of shamrocks cut out, arrange them on a table and - using tape - attach a ribbon to the backs.

Tape a gold ribbon to the backs of the shamrocks.

Flip it over...

Voila! A shamrock garland!

And hang it up!

Then, you should go ahead treat yourself - and your kids - to a Shamrock Shake. You're welcome.

A colourful shamrock garland.

And when you're through with your garland, you can use your shamrock cut-outs to make a cool pop art picture.

Simply arrange six sheets of construction paper (attach using tape on the backs).

Arrange six sheets of construction paper together.

Then glue the shamrocks onto the paper in a pop art way that would make Andy Warhol proud.

Pop art shamrock craft.

This would work really well with paint too, don't you think? Also, the garland and the the pop art would be great decorations for a St. Patrick's Day party!

 

IMAGES SOURCE: COURTESY OF ANDREA MULDER-SLATER