Creating DIY leprechaun traps is a fun way for families to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
This blends imagination with the hands-on learning of STEAM activities.
With simple tools found around the house, such as cardboard boxes or craft sticks, kids can build their own homemade leprechaun traps.
It’s not just about the trap; it’s about creating memories and using creativity to make beautiful paper crafts and sometime make use of dollar store finds.
RELATED: Check out also these 75 St Patrick’s Day crafts for kids.
The History of the Leprechaun
Leprechauns have made their way into Irish folklore as mischievous fairies.
They are known to hoard pots of gold, hidden at rainbows’ ends.
The tradition of crafting DIY leprechaun traps sprang from these tales, serving as a playful homage to the folklore.
Creating these clever traps for kids, whether it’s with a shoebox craft, green hat craft or using gold coins as bait, has turned into a creative pursuit for the entire family.
Paper roll Leprechaun hat trap
Had you considered transforming a simple paper roll into an effective DIY leprechaun trap?
This craft, ideal for St. Patrick’s Day festivities, invites kids to recycle and serves as a fantastic STEAM activity.
You’ll need crafting materials that you most likely have at hand or you can find at the nearest dollar store.
First, decorate your paper roll to make it look like a leprechaun hat.
Next, decorate with a rainbow, shamrock and pot of gold.
Under the rainbow Leprechaun hat trap
In this fun family activity, we’ll use a green hat as our base. You can find these at any dollar store or craft store, making it an easy and affordable STEAM activity.
Decorate the hat with a ladder covered in glitter and a rainbow on top.
Gold coins serve as the perfect bait, placed at the hat’s base.
Free gold cardboard leprechaun trap
Using a simple cardboard box craft, you can fashion a simple yet clever trap for kids.
First, gather your supplies from the dollar store.
Next, paint the box green and add big shamrock decorations on the sides.
A rainbow with cotton ball clouds try to take the leprechaun’s attention away from the hole in the middle of the box.
The Free Gold sign is glued to the side of the trap.
Cardboard box treasure chest leprechaun trap
Let’s catch the leprechaun with a simple yet efficient treasure chest filled with gold and other goodies.
Decorate the outside with green paper and four-leaf clovers.
Place inside the box a few gold coins and other gold possessions you may have, as well as a pipe cleaner rainbow.
Rainbow painted craft stick leprechaun trap
Encouraging kids to make a craft stick trap and paint each stick in rainbow color, you know this STEAM activity will not only be a hit with the kids but also serve as a clever trap for any leprechaun drawn to its colors.
The sign Free Gold indicates that there is a pot of gold up on the rainbow tower.
Shoebox leprechaun trap – Pinterest
Transforming a shoebox into a leprechaun trap is a classic St Patrick’s Day craft.
It’s an example of a DIY leprechaun trap that merges creativity with simple household items.
Start by painting the box green and decorate with St Paddy stickers.
The pot of gold is up, strategically placed above a trap in the middle of the box.
Transforming a cereal box into a leprechaun trap will spark joy and creativity.
Cut one side of the box and cover the rest with green paper.
Inside, lay a rainbow path of chocolate gold coins leading to the cotton ball cloud right under the trap.
This acts not only as bait but also as a clever trap for any leprechaun daring enough to venture in search of gold.
Armed with a tin can, let’s make a beautiful leprechaun trap for the little green creature that will climb up the ladder in search of gold.
The rainbow and the pot of gold await on top of the tower, in the middle of a beautiful garden.
A shiny pile of sequins lies at the bottom.
The Rainbow Hotel recycled cardboard box leprechaun trap
Upcycle a cardboard box into a dazzling ‘Rainbow Hotel’ trap for catching those sneaky leprechauns.
With rainbow colors everywhere, this craft cleverly combines STEAM activities and family fun, turning St. Patrick’s Day into a crafting adventure.
Grab the printable and decorate with some extra pom poms.
Coloring rainbow printable paper bowl leprechaun trap
For this particular trap, you’ll need a simple paper bowl, that kids will paint green, and the coloring rainbow printable.
The printable has the names of the rainbow colors printed so kids can color each strip according to the name. A simple coloring activity for preschoolers.
Gold coins are placed under the paper bowl.
Cardboard cylinder with rainbow Perler beads revolving top door leprechaun trap
Let’s try a unique design with this idea: a cardboard cylinder transformed into a sophisticated trap.
Its charm lies in a revolving top, a feature sure to intrigue any leprechaun.
Crafted meticulously with rainbow Perler beads, this mechanism isn’t just functional; it’s visually striking.
Assembling the beads in a rainbow pattern requires precision and patient.
This trap is made of three size clay pots painted into leprechaun hats.
Embellish the trap with some greenery and shamrock decorations to make it irresistible.
Now this is quite some leprechaun trap!
It is elaborated and beautiful. You can adapt the trap so you can use the LEGO pieces you have in your household.
Old coffee container leprechaun trap
Repurpose that old coffee container lying in your kitchen into a clever trap for catching leprechauns.
It’s simple, really.
Kids will get to create with hot glue so be careful and replace with low temp glue for young ages.
Shoe repair front store cardboard box leprechaun trap with printable template
This shoe repair idea came after some research made on leprechauns and their hobbies and interests,
The trick here lies in the allure. Leprechauns, drawn to jokes and mischief, won’t be able to resist the charm of a shoe repair shop.
After all, who else but a leprechaun would be out fixing shoes?
Use the printable template for all the signs you can add along the rainbow path towards to shop.
Now that you have seen all the leprechaun traps, I’m curious to see what you will come up with this year.