Can you catch a leprechaun? Try your luck with our clever St. Patrick’s Day DIY Leprechaun Trap.

Materials:

• Shoe box
• Light green construction paper (8.5×11)
• Ruler
• Scissors (adults may need to assist)
• Double-sided tape or glue
• 8.5 x 11 white paper
• Colored markers
• Cotton balls
• Clover stickers
• Pipe cleaners
• Toys and/or candy for inside the box
• Dark green heavyweight construction paper (8.5 x 11)
• 8.5 x 11 gold paper
• Gold letters
• Gold chocolate coins

Step 1:

Remove the lid of the shoebox. Using sheets of light green paper, measure and cut paper to cover top and sides of the box lid. Use double-sided tape or glue to attach the paper to the lid. Next, measure and cut paper to cover the sides of bottom of the box. Use double-sided tape or glue to attach.

Step 2:

To make the door to the “trap,” cut a square hole about halfway up the box lid. Cut a small square out of another sheet of light green paper slightly bigger than the hole. Cut diagonal slits through the center of the small square paper to form an “X” in, taking care not to cut through the corners.

Step 3:

Tape or glue the green square on the underside of the shoebox lid to cover the hole.

Step 4:

For the rainbow topper, trim a sheet of white paper to measure lengthwise from the front of the lid to the “trap door” (the longer section of the shoe box). Color rainbow stripes horizontally to cover white paper.

Step 5:

Cut out the rainbow striped box and slightly curve the rainbow to form an arch. Attach to the lid with glue or tape. Place cotton balls down both sides of the rainbow. Glue each cotton ball, pushing in slightly to support the rainbow arch.

Step 6:

Place clover stickers to the front and sides of the box.

Step 7:

Use pipe cleaners to form a ladder at the rainbow end of the box. Measure and cut 2 pipe cleaners to fit up the side of the bottom of the box. Cut small pipe cleaner pieces for the rungs of the ladder. Glue pipe cleaners to the rainbow end of the bottom of the box. (For a more secure hold, cut pipe cleaners slightly longer to fold over and tape down over top edge of box.) To complete the top of the ladder, cut smaller pieces of pipe cleaner to form the sides and rungs. Glue down on the box lid to align with the ladder on the bottom of the box.    

Step 8:

For the sign, trim piece of dark green paper the width of the shoebox. Use sticker letters to spell out “FREE GOLD” at top of paper. Cut out an arrow from the gold paper. Glue the arrow down under the words, staying over the top half of the paper.

Step 9:

Tape the sign to the lower half of the box so the lid can easily come off still. Add the gold chocolate coins to tempt your little leprechaun.

Step 10:

On the night before St. Patrick’s Day set the trap up with your child. Then in the morning, when your kiddo checks the trap, they won’t find a little leprechaun, but there will be a note and a handful of gifts and goodies in the box!