The tradition is similar to Elf on the Shelf at Christmastime but with way less work for Mom and Dad. Rather than moving an elf to a new location each night, you set up a leprechaun trap the night before St. Patrick’s Day. If you wake up to find gold coins or treasure in the trap, you’ll know you’ve caught a leprechaun. The best part about this tradition is that it can be easily executed by the kids—all you have to do is add the coins once they’re asleep (unless a leprechaun beats you to it). To start this tradition with your family, grab a copy of the book How to Catch a Leprechaun to learn a bit about St. Patrick’s Day and to educate the kids on leprechaun-catching. Then set them loose with craft supplies! Check out a few of our favorite versions to inspire your own DIY leprechaun trap.
Rainbow Road Leprechaun Trap
Every leprechaun knows that at the end of a rainbow, there’s sure to be a pot of gold. Borrow this idea from Harli of Ms. Harli’s Honeys: Lay down a sheet of rainbow-striped paper ($12 for a 12-pack, Walmart) for leprechauns to follow, then let the kids decorate the sides of a box covered in green paper. Prop it up with a wooden skewer cut in half. When a leprechaun comes to steal your pot of gold, the box will fall, trapping him inside.
Leprechaun Garden
A secret trap door is a sneaky way to catch a leprechaun. Build a ladder of painted green crafts sticks, then mount it against a small box (like the wooden one seen above). Cover the top with bright colored paper in hopes that a curious leprechaun will climb the ladder and fall in. Tonya Staab decorated her scene with free printable signs from book publisher Harper Collins to make the trap even more enticing.
Cozy House Leprechaun Trap
Kids will love decorating this adorable DIY leprechaun trap, made by Jess from Everyday Party Magazine. Help them paint a small wooden birdhouse in a rainbow of colors and allow it to dry. Place the house on a decorative platter, surrounded by chocolate coins and sparkly foam dots (available at crafts stores). Print out or make your own colorful rainbow on cardstock and attach it to the roof of your trap to attract leprechauns by the dozen.
Green Top Hat Leprechaun Trap
There’s nothing like the promise of free gold to lure a leprechaun to your trap. Kellie from The Suburban Soapbox made the festive hat out of green poster board, then topped it with a pipe-cleaner rainbow (complete with cotton ball clouds!) and a black pot filled with gold candy—aka individually-wrapped Rolos ($7, Target). We’re loving the ladder made from green paper straws, too.
“Gold Inside” Leprechaun Trap
This DIY leprechaun trap, courtesy of Mrs. Henry in First, uses recycled materials to attract a leprechaun. The shipping box balances on a cardboard tube covered in rainbow stripes and attached to a string. When the leprechaun steps inside the box, a simple tug on the string will trap him. If your kids awake to find the box face-down on the ground with gold coins inside, they’ll know the trap worked!
Leprechaun Trap Box
This homemade leprechaun trap is super easy to make. Steph from Modern Parents Messy Kids transformed a plain brown box with a stripe of green paint, sparkly shamrocks, and a pipe-cleaner rainbow. Chipboard boxes like this one are inexpensive and can be found at most crafts stores, so why not buy a trap for each child to decorate?
