St Patricks Paper Crafts

Rainbow Pop-Up Card

This is a charming pop-up card that children can make. Adult supervision is advised since scissors are required.

1. Take a piece of paper and place it in "landscape" orientation. Draw a rainbow on the top half of the page. The rainbow should be centered and fairly symmetrical. You may also draw other fun features like a pot of gold, lephrechauns, trees and flowers. Download sample drawing here.

2. Color the picture and add a message. This will be your card.

3. Fold the card in half with the picture on the outside. Use scissors and cut along the outer edge of the rainbow. Do not cut the rainbow completely off the card.

4. Fold the rainbow flap down; make a good crease.

5. Fold the rainbow flap back to its original position and open the card.

6. Close the card again, but this time, fold it so that the picture is on the inside. Use your fingers to push the rainbow flap so that it lies in between the folded card.

7. The card should look like figure 7. Glue or tape another sheet of paper onto the outside of the card. This serves as a backing to hide the rainbow hole.

8. When you open the card, you will see a pop-up rainbow. It's a great St Patrick's Day craft!

   
   
   
   

Clover Paper Chain

1. Take a piece of paper and cut into into 4 strips lengthwise.

2. Valley-fold the strip in half.

3. Valley fold the strip into quarters.

4. Mountain fold the strip into eights.

5. Compress the strip into a stack, accordion style.

6. Draw a clover or shamrock onto the top sheet of the stack. Cut out the clover making sure that you leave ¼" of space uncut (shown with an arrow).

7. Unfold the stack and you have a clover paper chain! Repeat with the remaining strips of paper. Tape the four chains together to get a longer chain. They're great decorations for a St Patrick's day party.

Clover Whirligig

Cut out three shamrock (clover) shapes. Fold two of the clovers in half and glue half of one clover to the half of the second clover. On the third clover, glue on a long string or yarn. Glue the clover made in step 2 to the clover-string made in step 3. After the glue has dried, fold the third clover in half so that all 3 clovers are at the same angle from each other. Create a few of these and connect them on the same string. Hang them outside and they'll spin and swirl!

Cup of Gold Container

This is a modification of the classic origami cup. This cup can stand up on its own and not fall over.

1. Take a piece of square paper (if you are using origami paper, place the color side down). Fold corner to corner to make a triangle.

2. Fold the bottom right corner to the left edge.

3. Flip model around.

4. Repeat step 2: bring bottom right to the left edge.

5. Pry open the pockets and tuck in the top flaps into the pockets.

6. In order for the containter to stand up by itself, it needs to have a flat bottom. To do this, fold a quarter of the cup upwards. Fold back and forth a few times to make a good crease.

7. Pry open the cup and push the bottom quarter of the cup upwards. It will look like the bottom of a wine bottle. Jiggle and coerce the paper until you get a flat bottom rim.

8. Fill the cup with gold chocolate coins and let the party begin!

This is a traditional origami model loved by parents and teachers alike. The box is relatively sturdy, and can be made with any size rectangular sheet of paper.

1. Take a rectangular piece of paper and fold it in half lengthwise. Fold the paper into quarters by folding the top and bottom edge towards the center line. Unfold.

2. Fold the paper in half crosswise. Unfold.

3. Fold the paper into quarters crosswise by folding the left and right edges towards the center line.

4. Fold the four corners in.

5. Pry open and fold back the edges of the paper. This makes a folded edge along the middle of the paper.

6. Pull up the paper in the areas marked with a black dot. This will cause the paper to pop open into the shape of a box.

7. Decorate the box and fill it with gold chocolate coins. Yum!