Paper Bag Leprechaun Puppet Craft for Preschool
This super cute leprechaun puppet craft uses a paper lunch bag and construction paper to make a fun puppet craft for preschool, toddlers, kindergarten, and more.
Using your child’s handprints this cute puppet craft can make a fun and easy leprechaun keepsake. Plus it is less messy because you are tracing handprints instead of painting them. Just cut out and glue on the paper pieces as shown and you have the perfect St. Patrick’s Day craft idea.
For more fun, St. Patrick’s Day leprechaun crafts be sure to also check out this cute fork painted leprechaun craft. It uses a fork and orange paint to create an adorable leprechaun beard.
Leprechaun Puppet Tips for Success
*To make this fun leprechaun puppet you will need to use a paper lunch bag. You can use either size of the standard brown paper lunch bags. Depending on which size you use you will need more or less paper to cover it and to go with it.
*For this craft you will need to use orange, green, black, and yellow construction paper. You can also use gold instead of yellow to create the buckle if desired.
*This craft is perfect for preschool and kindergarten-aged children. Depending on the age you are working with they may need a little help tracing handprints and cutting out the pieces. Handprints in particular are hard to cut out. The older the children the more independent they can be in making them.
*Once completed you can use these fun leprechaun crafts for pretend play. Have your child stick their hand in the bottom of the open bag and they become puppets.
St. Patrick’s Day Leprechaun Puppet Craft
Materials:
- Brown paper lunch bag (in either standard size)
- Green, black, yellow, and orange construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue Stick
- Black crayon or marker
Directions:
- Leave your brown paper bag closed shut with the bottom facing out. Cut out and cover the side of the brown paper lunch bag with a piece of green construction paper. *Be sure to tuck the piece of paper underneath the side of the bag bottom. This will make the leprechaun’s clothes.
- Cut out a green hat shaped piece of paper that is the same length as the bottom of the brown paper lunch bag. Glue it to the top of the bottom of the brown paper lunch bag as shown.
- Cut out a black strip of paper and glue it to the middle of the hat.
- Cut out a yellow square of construction paper. Cut out the inside of the yellow square. Glue this hollowed out yellow square to the middle of the black piece of paper to make the hat buckle.
- Trace your child’s hand onto an orange piece of paper. You can do this four times and cut out all four handprints. (You can also trace the handprint once and stack or fold orange paper underneath the traced hand so you have a stack of 4. Then you can cut them all out at once to save time).
- Glue the top of your orange handprints to the bottom part of the bottom of the bag with the fingers hanging off of the bottom to look like a beard.
- Cut out two black circles and two slightly larger white circles and glue them together to make the eyes. Glue them just underneath the hat. (You can also choose to use googly eyes if preferred.
- Draw on a nose and smile to complete your leprechaun craft.
For more of our favorite St. Patrick’s Day crafts and activities for preschool, be sure to check out these fun rainbow pot of gold crafts or this engaging St. Patrick’s Day pot of gold sensory bin idea with a free printable.
