Since our superhero paper bag craft was so popular (I seriously can’t believe it was downloaded hundreds of times this year), I thought it would be fun to create one for St. Patricks Day. 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 of the little pieces can be super 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 we are excited to share it with you. It’s perfect for your home, a classroom, Girl Scout troops, or even 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!
How to Make a Leprechaun Paper Bag
Supplies Needed:
- Free printable leprechaun paper bag template
- Paper Bags
- Construction Paper (one sheet each green, orange, black and yellow)
- Scissors
- Tape (double-sided works best)
- Googly Eyes
- Black Marker
Ready to Put it Together?
- Print out your free printable leprechaun paper bag template. I like to print ours on card stock so that it’s more stable, but you can also use regular paper. Make sure that your printer settings say “actual size” so that the template pieces print out in the correct size.
- Cut out each piece on the printable template. There are two pages, so make sure to cut them both! Make sure that 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 so that I have all of the pieces I need and only have to cut each shape once. Also, since the buckle center can be a little 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.
- Make sure the paper bag is upside down (bottom and in front). I’ll be referring 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 make sure 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 so that it’s 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, 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 are going to 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.
- Using a very small piece of tape, secure each buckle to their belt and one on each shoe.
- 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)!
- Draw a smile under the eyes.
Free Printable Leprechaun Paper Bag Craft Template
It’s easy to download. Just click Free Printable Leprechaun Paper Bag Template and enter your email. You’ll immediately receive an email with a link to the printable. I recommend printing it immediately and also saving it to your computer so you can print it out again on a later day.
If you love this leprechaun paper bag craft, make sure to check out our other free printables, including our printable leprechaun trap. Have a SUPER time!
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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.