DIY Leprechaun Traps for Kids

St. Patrick’s Day is a magical day for everyone, all though for kids its extra special. Kids wait throughout the year for St. Patrick’s Day to have a full day filled with magic, fun, and treats. The treats and food are all green in colour. Kids also make various crafts to celebrate this day. Out of all the crafts made on this day, the leprechaun trap is the most popular and made by all kids. They make leprechaun traps in various designs to catch the mystical green creature. The St. Patrick’s day belief is if one manages to catch a leprechaun, then the leprechaun will give his gold to the person who trapped him. So, to catch this mischief-maker, kids make leprechaun traps on St. Patrick’s Day.

What’s a Leprechaun Trap?

Setting up the leprechaun trap is the most awaited and exciting activity of St. Patrick’s Day. Kids are eager from days to set up their leprechaun trap on the night before St. Patrick’s Day in the hopes of catching a leprechaun. Leprechaun traps are traps made from anything available in the house such as boxes, colourful paper, glass bottles, etc. One can make them in any design they like, just keep in mind that all leprechaun traps have to be shiny with something gold coloured on them to attract and trap the leprechauns. The leprechauns are said to be attracted by the colour green and shiny things. Shiny things tempt them to come close and get trapped in it.

Why Are These Traps Made?

According to an ancient Irish legend, leprechauns are magical elves wearing a top hat and shiny little suit. These elves who spend hours mending shoes and being naughty have a pot filled with gold hidden at the end of the rainbow. The lore says that these leprechauns are notorious for causing mischief, especially the night before St Patrick’s Day. To stop them from making mischief, leprechaun traps are built to catch them. It is also believed that when one catches a leprechaun, then the leprechaun gives the captor their hidden gold so that they are set free. So, the traps are built to stop the leprechauns from causing trouble and to take their gold in exchange for their freedom.

How Does a Leprechaun Trap Work?

As per the Irish fairy-lore, it is believed leprechauns are attracted to green and shiny things. So most of the traps are made using shiny colours and using embellishments such as glitter, stickers, and bits of gold. The leprechaun gets attracted by the shiny colours and comes near the trap. When he sees the gold bits in the trap, he gets tempted to collect them, so he enters the trap and gets caught in it. To further attract them, colourful wild food items like nuts, wildflowers, potatoes, and mushrooms are also kept in the trap. The meal items also lure them inside the trap along with the gold. Leprechauns like four-leaf clovers as they consider it lucky; so many people create a miniature four-leaf clover to lure them.

Homemade Leprechaun Trap Ideas

It is easy to make a leprechaun trap at home with readily available materials. Few of the easy DIY cute leprechaun trap ideas to make at home with kids are:

1. Lucky Leprechaun Trap

This cute and easy to assemble leprechaun trap is ideal to stop those naughty leprechauns from creating havoc on St Patricks Day..

Source: https://www.marthastewart.com/1057454/how-make-leprechaun-trap#1057404

Materials Required 

• Clear glass jar or cylinder
• Paper cutter
• Cardstock
• Edge paper punch
• Clear tape
• Craft glue
• Double-sided stick tape
• Circle cutter
• Scissors
• Heart-shaped paper punch
• Bamboo skewer
• White paper clay
• Glitter markers
• Gold covered chocolate coins
• Gold paint
• Paintbrush

How To Make

1. Take the green and gold paper and cut strips with a paper trimmer. Embellish the edges using a paper punch.
2. Now using the double-stick tape, the paper strips on the glass cylinder or jar. Layer the strips as you like, just remember your last strip should extend ¼ inch over the top edge of the glass cylinder.
3. Make two holes on the opposite side of the top paper layer. Through these two holes slide a wooden skewer.
4. Cut a paper circle by using a circle cutter tool. The size should be slightly small then the top opening of the glass cylinder.
5. Now tape the circle to the wooden skewer and create a secret swinging trap door.
6. Build a wooden ladder using the skewers. Take two long skewers and cut small pieces out of other skewers. Now stick these smaller pieces to the two long skewers to make the wooden ladder.  Cut the sharp edges. You can also colour the ladder using the glitter marker.
7. Make shamrocks from green craft paper using the heart paper punch. Join three heart shapes and overlap them over each other, then glue them to make a shamrock. Cut small strips of paper to make the stem. Glue the stem to the shamrocks.  Stick these shamrocks on the glass cylinder.
8. Make a small signboard by cutting a rectangle paper and write on it “Do not climb” to tempt the naughty leprechaun to climb the ladder.
9. To make the stand of the signage, glue a small skewer at the back and make the base by using the white clay.
10. Colour the base by using gold paint.
11. When it’s dry, stick a few shamrocks to this sign using the glue.
12. Make gold nuggets using the paper clay and colour them with gold paint. When they’re dry, stick a few nuggets on the top of the trap door to tempt the leprechauns.
13. Place the gold-coloured chocolate coins in the glass cylinder.

2. Cereal Box Leprechaun Trap

This super cute leprechaun trap is one of the easiest and most creative leprechaun trap ideas and is perfect for catching the fast running leprechauns.

Source: https://craftsbyamanda.com/cereal-box-leprechaun-trap/

Materials Required 

• Old cereal box
• Construction paper- Red, blue, green, yellow, purple, white, orange
• Gold Glitter
• Cotton balls
• Scissors
• Tape
• Stick or 12-inch dowel
• Glue stick
• White craft glue
• Yarn or string

How To Make

1. Take the cereal box and close the open side using tape. Cut one side off of the box and cover the cereal box using green construction paper.
2. Take the cut-off piece of the cereal box and cover some portion with glue. Now, sprinkle gold glitter on the glue. Let it dry.
3. Cut off the gold strip and make round shapes to make gold coins. Keep them aside.
4. Cut long strips of the different coloured paper keeping the width size 2 inches.
5. Paste one strip over the other using glue. The strips should overlap with 1 inch over the other. You can paste them in any order or follow the rainbow sequence- red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet. Keep the last strip’s width size 1 inch to maintain a 1 inch width of all stripes.
6. Take the white construction paper and cover it with white glue. Stick the cotton balls on it to create the clouds.
7. Connect the clouds with the multi-coloured paper path using glue.
8. Put some gold coins on the clouds and on the path to create a “bread crumb” type effect. This will tempt the leprechauns to the trap.
9. Place the cloud and coloured path on the floor or table. Tie the string or yarn to one end of the dowel. Now prop the cereal box with the dowel and place it over the clouds to create the trap. Your trap is complete. Now, just wait for the leprechauns to come.

3. Leprechaun Hat Trap

This simple leprechaun trap is one of the DIY leprechaun trap ideas for kindergarteners, which they can make with the help of their parents. It is super easy to make and sure to catch a few of those trouble-making leprechauns.

Source: https://thesuburbansoapbox.com/how-to-build-a-leprechaun-trap/

Materials Required 

• Green construction paper
• Different coloured pipe cleaners
• Black construction paper
• White construction paper
• Cotton balls
• Lucky charms
• Embellishments or stickers
• Scissors
• Paper scissors
• Glue
• Thick cardboard paper or sheet
• Decorative paper
• Gold paper-covered chocolate coins
• Wooden skewers or popsicle sticks
• Gold glitter

How To Make

1. Take the green construction paper and roll it to make a cylinder. This will make the hat.
2. Take another green sheet and place the green cylinder on it, in a vertical position to make the hat. Glue them together.
3. After it has dried, draw a circle around the cylinder that is at a minimum distance of 3 to 4 inches from the cylinder. Now, cut this circle with paper scissors to make the hat.
4. Take a third green construction sheet to make the top of the hat. To make it, keep the cylinder on that sheet and outline to get the size. Cut slightly more than the outline to stick the top.
5. Make a small circle in the top circle to make the trap opening.
6. Stick the top circle on the top of the cylinder to complete the hat with glue. After the glue dries, cut off the extra paper. Your leprechaun hat is ready.
7. To make the base of the hat, take the thick cardboard sheet and cut a big rectangle out of it. It should be big enough to keep the hat on it.
8. Paste the decorative paper on the cardboard sheet with glue. Let it dry.
9. Decorate the hat by using strips of black and white construction sheet. You can also use embellishments or stickers.
10. Stick the hat on the cardboard sheet with glue.
11. Keep gold-coloured coins and lucky charms in the hat to tempt the leprechauns.
12. Stick multicoloured pipe cleaners to make a rainbow. After it dries, glue it to the top of the hat.
13. Stick the cotton balls to make the clouds and stick them on both ends of the rainbow.
14. Make a ladder using the wooden skewers or popsicle sticks. Take two long skewers or popsicle sticks and cut small pieces out of other skewers or pipe cleaners to make the steps. Now, stick these smaller pieces to the two long skewers to make the wooden ladder.
15. Stick this ladder to one side of the hat, for the leprechaun to climb up.
16. Add a few lucky charms on the side of the ladder and on top of the hat to tempt the leprechauns.
17. Sprinkle some gold glitter on the hat, cardboard sheet to complete your leprechaun hat trap.

Leprechauns are fairy-lore creatures, however, they hold a special place for the kids. Kids wait for St. Patricks Day for these mischief-makers and to catch them they create leprechaun traps. Help your kids make these DIY leprechaun traps to make their St. Patrick’s Day more exciting.

Also Read: Saint Patrick’s Day Facts, History & Activities for Children