Although St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago has turned into a mostly adult-focused holiday, kids enjoy getting in on the green-themed fun as well! Today my kiddos are strutting their stuff on Fox 32, showing two incredibly easy crafts that they can do to celebrate (in addition to slurping Shamrock Shakes, of course). Here are two easy St. Patrick’s Day crafts that take less than a half hour to complete, and your kids can re-use them every year.
Shamrockin’ Skirt
What child (or adult for that matter) doesn’t love a tutu? This easy St. Patrick’s Day craft doesn’t involve anything more than cutting and tying- no sewing, no glue. Here are the simple steps to making a Shamrockin’ Skirt:
Materials:
- Tulle (I used one 20 yard roll + one 8 yard roll)
- Elastic (I used 3/4″)
- Scissors
- Hardcover kids book (use one whose length matches the desired length of your skirt)
Instructions:
Wrap the tulle around the book length-wise. I used a hardcover version of a kid’s book, it is 11″ in length, so the skirt will end up being a little shorter than that.
After you use all of the tulle, cut through the whole bunch at either the top or the bottom of the book.
Measure the length of one of your child’s pants/skirt and cut elastic accordingly, allowing room for the knot. Tie the elastic together to create a circle and slip over the book.
Tie the strips of tulle around the elastic using a “tutu knot.” Fold the tulle strip in half, creating a loop and put it behind the elastic with the loop side down. Pull the loose ends through the loop and pull tight.
Continue adding tulle until the skirt is full (or you run out…this isn’t an exact science).
Leprechaun Beard
This Easy St. Patrick’s Day craft is excellent practice for those fine motor skills, and even my 5 year old got the hang of making the beard “curls” after one or two attempts.
Add a top hat and you get insta-leprechaun.
Materials:
- Orange cardstock or construction paper
- Yarn
- Tape
- Scissors
- Hole Punch
- Pencil
Instructions:
Trace a beard shape on a piece of cardstock, leaving room for the mouth and under the eyes. Cut out the shape.
Place a piece of tape in each top corner, then punch a hole (this helps ensure that the hole doesn’t rip). Tie a length of yard onto each hole, measuring so they can fit your child’s head when tied together in the back.
Cut 2-3 pieces of cardstock into thin strips (my strips were about 1″ wide).
Curl each strip by wrapping tightly around a pencil.
Glue strips onto the beard template.
Cheers to celebrating a holiday where you don’t have to buy anyone gifts, can drink beer (responsibly, duh), and get to wear fabulous shades of green!
