One of my favorite projects for St. Patrick’s Day is leprechaun characters. I love making them to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, but I enjoy them even more when I put them in the fridge on a shelf. Every time I open the fridge I’m greeted by these wonderful magical leprechaun characters. They last for about a month in the fridge and bring a smile to my face each time I open the door.
Leprechaun characters
Sure to delight even the littlest elf in your family.
Dimensional craft paint
Tangerine
Green and flesh-colored felt
Glue
Green apple
Toothpicks
Orange chenille trim, fringe trim or yarn for beard
Small black felt doll’s hat (available from craft store)
1/2 yard (1/2-inch wide) green ribbon
Creating the Face
Paint eyes and mouth on tangerine. Cut a 1-by-5-inch strip from the green felt for the arms, adjusting the length to fit your apple.
Making the Body
Cut hands from flesh-colored felt and glue a hand to the end of each arm. Turn the apple upside down. Place the arm-strip across the apple, and insert a toothpick through the felt and part way into the blossom end of the apple. Place the tangerine on the other end of the toothpick for the head.
Adding the Leprechaun Details
Attach trim or yarn with glue or pins to form a beard. Decorate hatband with ribbon and place hat on top of tangerine. Keep in place with straight pins. Tie ribbon into bow and place on neck.
The Legend of the Leprechaun
Leprechauns are small imaginary creatures who supposedly made shoes for the fairies of Ireland. These little old men have a reputation for being rich and quite cranky. If captured, a leprechaun will try to buy his freedom by telling his captor where to find the pot of gold that he’s hidden.
