Don’t let St. Patrick’s Day just be that overlooked holiday of binge-drinking. Instead, think of it as our first holiday of spring, our first excuse to add green to our decor, our permission to strew everything with rainbows and shamrocks.
St. Patrick’s Day is a lot of fun, and I think you’re going to love these eco-friendly craft projects perfect for decorating and celebrating the hope that spring is (almost) here:
1. Toilet paper tube shamrock. You know that here at CAGW, we’ve never met a toilet paper tube project that we didn’t love, and this one is no different. A toilet paper tube shamrock is quick and easy to make, and if you don’t already have everything that you need to make it, just wait a couple of days.
2. Fried eggs in green peppers. No matter what your St. Patrick’s Day plans are, you need a healthy, protein-filled breakfast to start you off. How about eggs fried inside green pepper shamrocks?
3. Paper shamrocks. Scrapbook paper is the perfect thickness to make these fun, three-dimensional paper shamrocks.
4. Scrap fabric wreath. If you love to sew, it’s likely that you have more fabric scraps than you know what to do with. Are some of your fabric scraps green? If so, then I know what you should do with them!
5. St. Patrick’s Day gift tags. Giving something gold, rainbow-themed, or green? Add a gift tag with upcycled button embellishments to make it really festive.
6. Recycled St. Patrick’s Day garland. Your St. Patrick’s Day party will be even more festive with the right decorations, especially this St. Patrick’s Day garland made primarily from recycled materials.
7. Clay pot planters. I LOVE the idea of starting greenery in these simply-embellished clay pots a couple of weeks before St. Patrick’s Day. How fun to finally have something green and growing to decorate with!
8. Embellished mugs. I highly recommend using real ceramics markers instead of paint pens, but other than that, embellishing thrifted white ceramic mugs, tea cups, and plates are one of my favorite craft projects.
9. Upcycled Mason jars. You CAN use Mason jars for this project, but I also really like to upcycle embossed spaghetti sauce jars.
10. Wood shim shamrock. The tutorial calls for a pre-cut wooden shamrock as a base for the wood shim scraps, but you could cut the shamrock yourself out of scrap wood, or even use a sturdy cardboard base.
11. St. Patrick’s Day embroidery hoop wreath. Embroidery hoop wreaths are so simple to make and so easy to swap out. Change your Valentine’s Day wreath for St. Patrick’s Day, and then change it again for Easter!
12. LUCK marquee sign. The tutorial uses lath, but you could also upcycle pallet boards for this marquee sign.
13. Painted glass vases. A clear glass vase from the thrift store is easy to make look glossy and bright in any color you choose–in this tutorial, the color is three different shades of green.
14. Shamrock heart hair clips. Wool felt and Eco-fi recycled felt are both eco-friendly materials to use for this project.
15. Split pea wreath. It’s an unusual choice of material for a wreath, but since it’s green, it works! Use a straw or newspaper wreath base so that the whole thing is compostable after the holiday.
16. Valentine candy box shamrock. You know all those heart-shaped boxes of candy that you got for Valentine’s Day? Glue them together, paint them green, and just like that you have a shamrock!
17. Homemade rainbow rocket pops. Eat the rainbow in a good way, without all the sugar of a store-bought popsicle.
18. LUCKY penny letters. Don’t bother purchasing store-bought letters; instead, cut them from cardboard or scrap wood.
19. Scrap wood leprechaun hat. Crafting with scrap wood is one of my favorite things because it’s so cheap and eco-friendly, and glue and paint can do anything. Here, it makes a fun and festive leprechaun hat!
20. Split pea hurricane lamps. It turns out that EVERYONE is using dried split peas to decorate for St. Patrick’s Day! Here, they serve as a rest for the candles in hurricane lamps.
21. Recycled shamrock brooch. Obviously, you have to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day. Here’s a DIY shamrock brooch whose materials you can pull from your recycling bin.
22. Paper mosaic shamrocks. Here’s a great way to use up lots of paper scraps. If they’re not already green, feel free to play with paint and stamps until they are!
23. Pot of gold necklace. I have a couple of these little jars leftover from a previous craft, so all that’s needed is to add an eye pin and a pinch of gold glitter in distilled water.
24. Rainbow fruit tray. This is the perfect treat to bring to a kid’s class party or to provide some healthy fiber and natural sugars at your own party.
25. Rainbow stacked hearts. Even very little ones can do all the painting and sorting of these hearts, but the sizing and texture of the cardboard is interesting enough that everyone can enjoy decorating and embellishing them.
Are your St. Patrick’s Day plans suitable to reveal in a public forum? If so, tell me about them in the comments below. Bonus points if they involve DIY!