Lucky Little Leprechaun House
Here’s a fun way to keep those mischievous little leprechauns busy this coming St. Patrick’s Day: Build them a leprechaun house!
It’s simple really. You don’t need to get as elaborate as I do. We just have a thing for cardboard houses around here so we go all out. But if you’d like to make one like ours all you will need are:
1. two large moving boxes and one small one
2. we used house paint but recommend water-based children’s paint as the safest option
3. poster paint (water-based) in a rainbow of colors for your smaller details
4. a paint roller and several small paint brushes for detail
5. a box cutter or serrated knife
6. lots of imagination
Of course you need to leave the cutting to an adult but don’t think the kids can’t paint. That’s the most fun for them. Everyone thinks that playing in the house once it is done is the fun part but really, between you and me: it’s the making of it that is the most fun. So go put on your painting clothes and get ready for a busy afternoon of bonding time with your kids.
First you’ll need to assemble your house. Cut the corners off two ends of each end flap to create a triangle gable like so. Then use the side flaps as part of the roof. You can secure them to the gable with with packing tape but it’s not really necessary. They’ll be covered by your roof anyway.
Use your other box to create the roof. When it is flattened, cut it in half. Place it on top of your gable and if it’s too big just trim off the excess. We used a rectangle box so our roof is longer on one side but we let it be, thinking it gave the house more charm.
Add your windows and doors and any decorative cut-outs you might want. A shamrock window perhaps? Just be careful with that box cutter and make sure you’re always cutting away from yourself. But you knew that already.
If you want to create a rainbow like we did (and I strongly recommend you do) you can cut an arc from the other half of the box you cut the roof from. Attach it to your house by cutting a 1/4 inch groove in the roof for it to fit into. You’ll need to cut through both the roof piece and the smaller roof flap on the house box so everything holds securely. Don’t give up. It’s fiddly but worth it.
Now the fun part: painting! Rollers work really well on cardboard. So do cute green outfits but you might want to change into something you don’t mind ruining with house paint. House paint is usually water-soluable so if you rinse it out quickly you can save your clothes but what’s the fun in that? Everyone needs painting clothes anyway. You can save them for Halloween and call yourself an artist if you need a quick costume!
Painting painting painting!
Don’t forget the rainbow! We made our pot of gold out of the small box. We just cut off the flaps and painted it black.
Try your best to wait until the paint dries before you assemble your house.
Then haul it off to the backyard for some Leprechaun fun! For best results place cookies in the pot.
** should you choose to do this project, please do it outside or in an extremely well-ventilated area. Craft responsibly, please.
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6 Responses to “Lucky Little Leprechaun House”
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Mar 08
[...] Agent Josephine and her St Patrick’s Day-crazy little girl made this adorable Leprechaun house. Great for indoor and outdoor [...]
That is super adorable SAJ. You need to write a book on holiday crafts.
I love this little house! If I get my hands on a large box, I will give it a try.
Woow, this is AMAZING! Monsters love it!!
Me and my dad are going to make it this Sunday.
Very Brilliant design work.thank you
Thank you so much for the fun idea!! I found this a little too late to use this year for my Preschool but I definitely am doing this for next year when we go on our treasure hunt and put out our Leprechaun traps!! Won’t they be surprised to find a real Leprechaun house??!! Thanks again for sharing your creativity!!