We had so much fun last year making these long-distance valentines, that I thought it would be perfect to use the same painting technique for St Patrick’s Day! This time, I cut cardboard into large four-leaf clovers and used shades of green and glittery gold paint. At first glance, these clovers look like they must be messy to make, but since everything is contained inside a plastic bag, it is virtually mess-free! Once the paint was all dry, I wrote this short St Patrick’s Day saying on the back, but you can write a custom message if giving the clover as a card or gift, or keep it plain. Make a bunch of these and turn them into a garland to decorate the house or set on windowsills or bookshelf ledges. We’ll be putting ours on our Grimm’s festivity stand along with some other St. Patrick’s Day and spring decorations and trinkets. See the full tutorial on how to make these mess-free four-leaf clovers with your kids below!
what you need:
- Cardboard
- Paint (green and gold)
- Craft knife
- Cutting mat
- Scrap paper
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Zip top plastic bag
how-to:
Step 1
Print out shamrock templates, or draw one yourself on scrap paper. Cut out and trace onto plain cardboard. Use a craft knife and cutting mat to cut out the shapes.
Step 2
Apply spurts of green and gold paint in a few spots on the cardboard clover. Carefully place into a zip-top bag and seal.
Apply spurts of green and gold paint in a few spots on the cardboard clover. Carefully place into a zip-top bag and seal.
Step 3
Give the bag to your toddler and encourage them to smoosh the paint around inside the bag, covering the shamrock in paint.
Give the bag to your toddler and encourage them to smoosh the paint around inside the bag, covering the shamrock in paint.
Step 4
When done, carefully remove the clover and set aside to dry completely.
When done, carefully remove the clover and set aside to dry completely.
Step 5
Once dry, write “May your clovers have leaves of four and may your luck be evermore!” or another St Patrick’s Day phrase.
Once dry, write “May your clovers have leaves of four and may your luck be evermore!” or another St Patrick’s Day phrase.
Happy crafting!