Leprechaun Trap
We have yet to catch a leprechaun, but we always have fun trying! So gather your trapsters-in-training, along with:
- Empty Wet Ones canister
- Cardboard
- Craft paints
- Glue
- Green felt
- Green and gold glitter
- Cotton balls or polyester stuffing
- Craft sticks
- Wooden toothpick
- Hot glue gun
- Scissors
- White cardstock
- Crayons or markers (optional)
- PDF printable
STEP ONE
Let's start with the base. Remove the label from your Wet Ones canister. Rinse and dry inside of canister to remove any remaining residue.
Cut two 8” circles of cardboard or chipboard by hand.
STEP TWO
Parents, the steps with the glue gun are for you! Glue the two disks together, making sure the edges line up. Glue the canister centered on top of the circles.
STEP THREE
Paint the canister and board green (2–3 coats may be necessary). Allow paint to dry in-between each coat.
Handy Tip: Applying a coat of chalk paint as the first coat will act as an excellent primer.
STEP FOUR
Brush school glue onto a section of the canister and board. Sprinkle fine green glitter onto the wet paint. Repeat until the entire canister and cardboard circle are glittered. Allow time to dry before handling.
STEP FIVE
Now let's set the bait! Using the free PDF file provided here, print out the rainbow, pot of gold, and "Free Gold!" sign on cardstock paper. If you are using a black and white printer, color in the line art with crayons or markers.
Cut out your rainbow and pot of gold with scissors.
Optional: Add glitter to your pot of gold to make it extra shimmery.
STEP SIX
Time to create the tiny wooden ladder! Cut craft wood sticks into five 1.25” pieces for rungs and two 8” pieces for the ladder sides.
Note: you may need to assemble two sticks together and trim down to 8" tall.
To build your tiny ladder, glue the pieces together as shown. Allow glue to dry, then paint the ladder gold and set it aside to dry.
STEP SEVEN
Here’s where we tease the pot of gold to tempt our leprechaun! Apply a line of glue on the back of the “Free Gold!” sign and attach to the wooden toothpick.
Hot glue the skewer onto the top of the cardboard circle. Add a dab of glue to the back of the sign and press up against the glittered canister.
STEP EIGHT
Now we can create our trap door! Trace the Wet Ones canister lid onto a piece of green craft felt.
STEP NINE
Cut out the circle and then fold in half. Create a cut of about ¾” over the fold. Unfold and fold in the opposite direction and make another small cut. You should have a circle slightly larger than the open end of the Wet Ones canister with an X cut out of the middle.
STEP TEN
Glue the felt trap door onto the top of the canister and allow to dry.
STEP ELEVEN
Hot glue the bottom of the pot of gold onto the edge of the felt/canister top and hold steady until dry.
STEP TWELVE
Trace the cut-out rainbow on a piece of cardboard. Cut out the shape slightly smaller than the traced line. Glue the piece of cardboard and color rainbow together and allow to dry.
Note: You should not see the cardboard from the front of the leprechaun trap.
STEP THIRTEEN
Place the flat edge of the rainbow onto the back of the cardboard circle, behind the canister. Situate so the rainbow is placed behind the pot of gold. Hot glue the rainbow to the pot of gold and cardboard circle. Hold steady until dry.
STEP FOURTEEN
Now let's add some clouds for a finishing touch of magic! Glue polyester filling or cotton balls around the rainbow and the sign.
STEP FIFTEEN
Glue the ladder into place and your trap is set!
Wipe your hands clean with Wet Ones. And keep checking your trap to see if you caught yourself a leprechaun!