It’s time for a delightful paper project. We love cheerful shamrocks for Saint Patrick’s Day. As you already know, we’re also big fans of simple paper decorations. So, when these two favorites come together, we get wonderfully easy Paper Shamrock Decorations for St Patrick’s Day.
These shamrocks were inspired by the paper fan, or accordion-folding, method. The process is simple yet produces a lovely result. If you take a close look, you might even spot another recent paper project of ours – the Paper Heart Accordions we made a few weeks ago!! That’s right, shamrock crafts are IDEAL for heart crafts as well.. take three of your favorite heart crafts, join them together and you have a classic shamrock!!! Aren’t they sweet? (And speaking of this – I think you’ll also enjoy our easy 3D Paper Shamrock Decorations!!).
There are 2 different ways to “hang” these Paper Shamrock Decorations – either attach a small thread to the CENTER Shamrock petal as you glue it together.. or punch a tiny hole in the upper right corner and let it hang at an angle. You could also put some blue tack or masking tape on the back and attach it directly to a wall or window!
These simple paper shamrocks would also make a lovely addition to the front of a St Paddy’s Day Greeting Card!
Paper Shamrock Craft – Supplies
- 1 A4 sheet of green paper (although you may choose any size/ several sheets according to the size of your finished paper shamrock)
- Glue stick
- Scissors
- A round object for tracing (we used a small bowl)
How to create your Paper Shamrock Accordion Craft:
I’ve prepared both a video and a step-by-step photo guide for you! The video will play automatically – or scroll all the way to the bottom of this post to find the video tutorial on YouTube!
Get your Shamrock Leaves Ready
First, trace and cut out 3 circles. Our circle was slightly smaller than a CD… If you plan to use your paper fan shamrock on a greeting card, you might prefer an object about the size of a tin can or cup. Save the leftover paper, since you’ll need a piece for the stem later.
Turn your Shamrock Leaves into Hearts
Crease your circles into tidy accordions – we first folded each circle in half, then folded it in half once more.. this gave us “guide lines” to help create even folds. Altogether, we made 16 folds – 8 on either side. Precision isn’t essential, and if you’re crafting with younger children, they don’t need to be perfectly accurate. I was simply being a paper-fan perfectionist and wanted wonderfully even accordion folds.
Fold each accordion paper strip in half. Then glue it halfway up, rather than along the entire length. Do the same with all three “paper hearts”.
If you plan to hang your decoration, remember to place a piece of thread on ONE of the three 3 shamrock leaves. Simply glue it between the folds.
Create the Stem
After making your 3 green paper hearts, it’s time to prepare the stem. Cut a rectangular piece of paper (I simply estimated the size again!). Fold it into a concertina. You can shorten it afterward if needed.
Put Together your Paper Shamrock Decoration
Next, stick the three paper hearts together.
Carefully pull the sections apart and attach your paper fan stem between the “bottom two hearts”. This part can be a little tricky, so younger children may need some help. Another option is to glue a “flat” rectangular piece of paper” onto the back of the hearts, similar to what we did with our 3d Paper Shamrock here. That method is quicker and simpler!
Your easy Paper Shamrock Decoration is now complete!!! Great job.
You might also enjoy these Saint Patrick’s Day Craft projects:
A simple and speedy 3D shamrock ornament for Saint Patrick’s Day
Charming quilled-paper shamrock cards for Saint Patrick’s Day
These adorable, simple shamrock corner bookmarks are a favorite– since shamrocks consist of “hearts,” transforming a classic Origami bookmark corner into a shamrock is wonderfully easy!
Create a lucky shamrock charm for your BFF! Shape these incredibly cute and easy Kawaii charms from polymer clay for St Patrick’s Day!
Preschoolers will enjoy this delightful shamrock project – yarn-covered shamrocks that are easy and entertaining to create!
We also feature a large collection of Rainbow Crafts & Activities – many would be ideal for Saint Patrick’s Day festivities (we especially adore the delicious Rainbow Cookies!!):
Even more wonderful St Patrick’s Day inspiration!
Watch the paper fan shamrock tutorial on YouTube: