Do you celebrate St. Paddy’s Day? With Irish blood running through our veins, we most definitely do. We love a day dedicated to shamrocks, mischievous creatures with green hats, and of course, a pint or two of the black stuff. To make your St. Patrick’s Day festivities even more special, why not whip up these quick and easy little leprechaun place cardholders?
And when I say little, I mean tiny. From the top of his hat to the tip of his beard, this one isn’t even an inch tall.
Isn’t he cute? I did make a few more that are a bit bigger.
Just so you don’t need a magnifying glass to see a diminutive leprechaun sitting pretty on his mushroom under a “Happy St. Paddy’s Day” signpost. And if you don’t want to make a place cardholder, the little leprechauns can be used to make cute pendants too.
This tutorial will show you how to make the little leprechaun, a mushroom, and the Happy St Paddy’s Day signpost. But, before we get there, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe so you’ll never miss a post!
What you need
Little Leprechauns
- Foam clay
- Fluffy pipe cleaner
- Small round bead
- Green craft paint
- Glue
- Green mica powder (optional)
- Black cardstock or vinyl (optional)
- Crimping bead (optional)
Mushrooms
- 2” polystyrene ball
- Sharp knife
- Clay
- Craft paint
Signpost
- Skewer
- Wooden stirrer
- Pen
- Glue
How to make Little Leprechauns
These little cuties are real easy and, like most gnomish creatures, consist of three parts: a hat, a nose, and a beard.
The hat form is easier to demonstrate with a video. I made mine with foam clay but any craft clay will work.
If you’re using mica powder, seal it with Mod Podge to prevent it from rubbing off.
For the hat band I used a thin strip of adhesive vinyl, or cardstock, and a crimper bead. Wrap the vinyl around the hat. Squish a crimper bead flat and glue it to the hat band.
The little leprechaun’s beard is an extra puffy pipe cleaner. I’ve left an affiliate link at the bottom of the post if you can’t find them in your local craft store.
Using the hat as a guide, cut the pipe cleaner about 2 times the height of the hat. Remove some of the Chenille threads at one end of the cut piece.
Twist and bend the wiry bits over to secure. On the other end, smooth the threads down. Glue the cut pipe cleaner inside the hat and trim the beard.
Put a dab of glue on a raw, wooden bead and glue it under the hat.
Keep the little leprechaun somewhere safe while you make the rest of the stuff. They’re so tiny and could get lost. If you’re turning the mini leprechauns into pendants, just add a small eye hook and call it a day.
How to make Polystyrene Ball Mushrooms
To make the mushrooms, I used 2” polystyrene balls and clay. We’ve shared a whole bunch of mushroom tutorials, but these must be the easiest. Cut the ball in half with a sharp craft knife to make a mushroom top.
Sand the cut to smooth it out.
For the stalks, condition the clay between your fingers before rolling it into a ball.
Form the ball into a stalkish shape by rolling the top between your fingers.
Leave the clay to dry and then paint the stalk and mushroom top.
Make a small depression or dent in the bottom of the mushroom top and glue the stalk to the top with a hot glue gun.
Making a St Paddy’s Day Signpost
Snap the round edges off the stirrer.
Write the words “Happy,” “St. Paddy’s,” and “Day” on a stirrer and break the stirrer between the words. If you prefer a cleaner edge, you can cut the stirrer with a pair of scissors.
Break or cut a skewer so it’s about two and a half times the height of the mushroom. Lightly sand one side. You just want to flatten it a little so the words have more surface area to grip onto.
Glue the words onto the flat side of the skewer.
Add a blob of clay at the bottom of the skewer for stability.
Once the clay dries, glue the signpost to a slice of wood and paint it brown. Add some moss for those fairy vibes.
Did you know you can use a bath sponge to make moss? I used a combination of real moss and finely grated bath sponge moss on mine.
Glue the mushroom next to the signpost.
Stick the wee little leprechaun on top of the mushroom to finish off the St. Paddy’s Day place cardholders.
And that’s it. Quick and easy.
If you like the idea of making St. Patrick’s Day cardholders, don’t forget to pin the tutorial for later.
Sharing is caring.
More St. Patrick’s Day Ideas
- Our lucky leprechaun horseshoe, complete with clay shoes and retro glasses, hangs by our front door and was a breeze to make.
- One of my all-time favorites, a curly-toed planter, is a great way to repurpose an old shoe that’s lost it’s uuuummm sole mate.
- And don’t forget the pub. You can dress your bottles up in style with this leprechaun bottle topper tutorial.
Oh, and if you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered. Disclosure: Clicking on the links below means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry, it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us make more amazing crafts to share with you ;-)
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And if you prefer to buy rather than DIY, perhaps these cuties will appeal.
And as always, wishing you a wonderful week filled with love and laughter. May your days be long and your luck be strong, and may you never forget the joy that comes from crafting! Thank you for popping in for a visit. Sláinte!
2 comments
You are the queen of miniatures for sure. That leprechaun is just perfection and I love the colour.
Thanks so much, Anita. It’s always fun getting lost in little worlds where anything is possible.