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Since our superhero paper bag craft was so popular (I seriously can’t believe it was downloaded hundreds of times in just one year), I thought creating one for St. Patricks Day would be fun. Of course, my schedule got super hectic (as it tends to do), and I didn’t have time. I asked my 16-year-old daughter to do it for me. I have to say, she did a phenomenal job on this leprechaun paper bag craft, and I know you guys are going to LOVE it!
When making a paper bag craft, we know that figuring out the shapes and cutting out all the little pieces can be tedious and take WAY too long. So I spent a full day creating a printable template for you so that you can print, cut out the shapes, and use those shapes as a template to cut out the construction paper. Easy peasy! You can save the template pieces for the following year as well!
We love how this leprechaun paper bag turned out and are excited to share it with you. It’s perfect for your home, a classroom, Girl Scout troops, or a religious group. No matter where you decide to use it, have fun with it, and don’t forget to take pictures and tag us on social media @thesupermomlife!
Print out your printable leprechaun paper bag template. I like to print ours on card stock to be more stable, but you can also use regular paper. Ensure your printer settings say “actual size” so the template pieces print out correctly.
Cut out each piece on the printable template. There are two pages, so make sure to cut them both! Ensure you cut out the correct number of pieces (for example, you’ll need 4 arms/legs and 2 shoes). A little hack I use is that I fold the construction paper before I start cutting to have all the pieces I need and only have to cut each shape once. Also, since the buckle center can be tricky, you (an adult) can use an X-Acto knife or just draw a black square inside. That might be easier for the smaller kids!
Using your template pieces, cut your shapes out of construction paper. You’ll use green for the clothing, hat, hat bottom, arms, and legs. You’ll use orange for the beard. You’ll use black for the shoes and two belts. You’ll use yellow for the buckles.
Ensure the paper bag is upside down (bottom and in front). I’ll refer to it as the top of the bag going forward.
Using tape on the center backside of the clothing piece, tape the clothing to the bag. You’ll want to ensure that the bottom edge lines up with the bottom of the bag. Tuck the top under the face if necessary. Don’t tape the bottom of the piece to the bag. You’ll be taping the legs there in step 9.
Tape the beard onto your leprechaun paper bag. I line mine up with the top of the bag to be even.
Place a piece of tape at the bottom of the hat and tape that to the top of the bag. It should mostly hang over the top.
Tape the hat bottom at the very top of the bag. It will overlap the beard and hat just a bit.
Tape the arms to each side, to the front, and inside of the bag flap.
Tape the legs to the bottom, inside the clothing piece between that piece and the bag. This will ensure that if you use the leprechaun paper bag as a puppet, the legs are in front of your arm.
Now it’s time to accessorize! Tape the hat belt just on top of the hat bottom and the clothing belt to the center of the clothing.
Tape the shoes to the legs. Make sure you have them facing outward.
Secure each buckle to their belt and one on each shoe using a very small piece of tape.
Stick on the googly eyes. I buy the ones that have the adhesive on the back already. But if you don’t have those handy, you can use tape (or glue)!
I'm so honored that you've found us! I'm Heather, a Mom of 3 who blogs about parenting, food, occasional travel and how I overcame my daily struggle with anxiety. I miss sleeping and rely on coffee and laughter to get me through the day. I hope you enjoy and visit often!
This leprechaun paper bag craft printable is adorable. I can see where it would be a bit time-consuming to make the printable for this craft. Your daughter is just as talented as her Mom. I just can’t get over how darn cute it is!
I can understand why this one got hundreds of downloads. It’s adorable and fun to make.
This leprechaun paper bag craft printable is adorable. I can see where it would be a bit time-consuming to make the printable for this craft. Your daughter is just as talented as her Mom. I just can’t get over how darn cute it is!
I didn’t even realise how close St Patricks day was as I don’t tend to go out/ do anything for it. This is such a cool paper bag craft x
What an adorable idea! I’m going to try this with my two cuties!
What a craft. It looks so simple to make and so fun.
What a fun and unique idea for kids to celebrate St. Patricks Day!
That is so adorable! I’ve always loved crafting with the kids. It’s a great way to have fun together and promote their creativity.