St. Patrick's Day

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Get Ready For St. Patrick's Day With These 16 Adorable Leprechaun Traps

Try your luck.

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Remember when Saint Patrick’s Day wasn’t about overindulging in suspiciously green beer? There was a time when you may have truly believed that with enough construction paper and glue sticks, you could build a trap to catch a Leprechaun. That time was called primary school and if you’re living with some elementary kiddos, this time leading up to Saint Patrick’s Day is the perfect opportunity to revisit this whimsical pursuit with these easy leprechaun trap projects.

The basic gist of the idea is to build a device that will either lure leprechauns in or snap shut on them once they’ve entered so you can, of course, trap them and grab some of their pot of gold. The ultimate imagination exercise (for both your kids and you!), it requires that everyone put on their “let’s pretend” cap, so give a word of warning to any skeptical older sibs who might break the spell.

Another pro tip: Find some fake chocolate coins in advance on March 17 to really blow your child’s mind. Watch your child’s mouth drop open when their easy leprechaun trap is filled with gold coins St. Patrick’s day morning! It’s the definition of the phrase “the magic is real!” moment.

1

Treasure Chest Trap

So you want to lure in a Leprechaun? What is it Leprechauns love the most? They love gold, that’s what! And just like a surly pirate coming across a pile of jewels, a treasure chest is truly what they’re after. Modge Podge Rocks has an easy DIY version of the classic treasure chest. You’ll need plenty of green paint and some gold tape to give this the right look. Then if you want to go next level, add a green nutcracker to confuse your little pixie with this adorable leprechaun trap.

2

Forest Maze Leprechaun Trap

You know what’s confusing? A forest. Just think about it. Even for a human, traveling in the woods can be disorienting. So you can take that same tactic and apply it to your leprechaun trap. Using discarded cardboard boxes you can create a stackable woodland to catch a leprechaun in a clever little trap from Handmade Charlotte.

3

Leprechaun Trap Kit

Don’t have the time or the energy to source a bunch of cardboard, glue, and paint? No worries, Etsy has you covered with this easy leprechaun trap kit. It comes with all of the materials you need: laser cut wood, paint, gold coins… Tell your kiddo to strap on their building hat (preferably a green top hat) and get to gettin’ making this DIY leprechaun pen.

4

“Come In” Leprechaun Trap Kit

Any savvy young marketer knows you have to use the power of persuasion to convince someone to do something. That’s why they’ll love this easy leprechaun trap kit that spells out “Come in” and “This way” in gold baltic birch letters. The set includes: Wood cutouts, 6 pack of paint, paint brush, wood glue, and an instruction sheet.

5

Tiny Leprechaun Trap

We all know leprechauns are tiny, so why build a massive trap when a mini one will do? Perhaps this one could do the trick. This 4x4 box comes with gold pieces, an itty bitty ladder, and dripping gold pouring out of the treasure box! Your child doesn’t have to do anything but set this beauty up and wait and see if they snag a leprechaun.

6

Trip Wire Leprechaun Trap Kit

The old trip wire trick has been around for centuries. Basically you have a line of wire or rope and when an unsuspecting party walks up, they trigger the trap! If it works for animals it will surely work for leprechauns too. And building this easy leprechaun trap is no sweat with this handy kit that includes metallic twine, nontoxic glue, felt, a magnet, a rivet, card stock, and velvet.

7

A Leprechaun House

30 minute crafts

Want to catch a leprechaun? Then you have to start with some good real estate and this concept, from 30 Minute Crafts, is not only a charming way to invite in some clever sprites, but it doubles as table decor. All you need is a small wooden bird house like the kind you can find at craft stores. Paint that baby green, add a gold glitter roof, and some faux coin stepping stones and before you know it your leprechaun will be signing this 30 year fixed mortgage

8

Reverse Psychology Trap

Buggy and Buddy

If you want to explore your child’s writing abilities and understanding of sarcasm, this trap from Buggy and Buddy can do both. The trap part is made from a shoe box, but it’s the signage we love. “No gold here!” and “Do Not Enter!” will surely convince your leprechaun they have to take a closer look.

9

Secure the Perimeter Trap

Grey House Harbor

If your child is fully planning to stay up all night to catch they’re ‘chaun, as we say in the biz, then this Grey House Harbor idea is a good one. Basically, this idea involves a booby trap front door attached to a string that your child can hold as they sleep, I mean stay awake on duty ready to pounce.

10

The Elaborate, Yet Effective Leprechaun Trap

This leprechaun trap from TheFourC's YouTube Family Fun calls for a cardboard box wrapped in green paper. Then, using lots of "gold bling," a paper cup, popsicle sticks, and pipe cleaners, you can make a scenic trap complete with a rainbow, ladder, and paper cup trap. This is too cute, y'all.

11

Double Trouble Leprechaun Trap With Slime

This clever project featured on Crayola's YouTube calls for slime to trap a leprechaun. You'll need a few basic arts and crafts supplies plus a jar of slime and some modeling clay to help keep the box propped up. There's even an easy slime recipe you can follow.

12

Nature-Inspired Leprechaun Trap

GoldieBox from Hack along with GoldieBox celebrates the "greeniest" holiday ever by making this colorful leprechaun trap. Heads up, it's a little elaborate, but it would be a fun craft to do with the entire family on a rainy Saturday. You can get as over-the-top as you want or stick to a simplified version if you don't have all the materials she calls for. The moss is a nice touch, though.

13

'How to Catch a Leprechaun'-Inspired Trap

YouTuber According to Abigail shows us how to make a pretty rad leprechaun trap that's inspired by the book, How to Catch a Leprechaun by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton. A tissue box makes the perfect base because it already has a hole cut out in it. The pipe cleaner rainbow, cotton ball clouds, gold coins, and lego ladder takes it a step further to really entice those leprechauns.

14

Top-Hat Inspired Leprechaun Trap

Kellie from The Suburban Soapbox makes an adorable trap that's in the shape of a leprechaun's hat. So meta, y'all. On her blog post she provides in clear detail all the materials you'll need and how to assemble this festive project. I think the chocolate gold on top is an especially nice touch.

15

The Leprechaun Trap Made From Things Around The House

The Tube Family on YouTube features one of the kids, Jillian, creating her leprechaun trap for school. Jillian starts her project by coloring a rainbow and then takes items she finds around the house — stickers, cotton balls, and a shoe box — to create a pretty impressive contraption. Her brother, Evan, also makes a trap. His is a simple bank with Lego ramp, which is a pretty smart move

16

Utilizing Old Toy Containers

Carlay from Carlaylee HD takes her empty LOL Surprise container and uses it for the base of her leprechaun trap. A lot goes into this project, from chocolate gold coins to glitter to crinkle paper, but the result is a colorful garden-like setting that'll draw in any curious leprechaun.

You don’t need a shamrock to get lucky this year. Some duct tape and glue will work when it comes to building these easy leprechaun traps.

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