20 St. Patrick’s Day Coloring Pages (Free Printable PDF)

8 Crafts for Kids Using St. Patrick’s Day Coloring Pages

Want to know how to use free St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages in fun and educational ways? You’ll find 8 simple crafts for kids in this guide that turn coloring pages into fun ways to learn. These step-by-step ideas are safe, won’t break the bank, and are great for kids in preschool and elementary school.

Hi, I’m James. Every year around St. Patrick’s Day, our house turns into a little green workshop. Last week, on a cool rainy afternoon, we printed some of the 20 free St. Patrick’s Day coloring sheets in PDFs that I already shared here. And guess what? The fun didn’t stop at coloring.

1. Lucky Leprechaun Paper Puppets

Materials Needed:

• St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages (leprechaun design)
• Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
• Craft sticks or paper straws
• Glue or strong tape
• Safety scissors
• A small cardboard piece (optional for extra strength)

Steps:

1. Print your favorite St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages. I usually download the free printable PDF sheets I shared here and let Lisa and Mike choose their favorite page. Mike always goes for the leprechaun with the big hat.
2. Color the page carefully. Encourage kids to mix light and dark green shades. Lisa likes to add purple or pink touches to make her leprechaun unique.
3. Cut out the leprechaun. If your child is younger, like Mike, help with cutting. Sometimes I pre-cut the small parts and let him cut the easy edges.
4. Glue the character onto a small cardboard piece to make it stronger. This helps the puppet last longer.
5. Attach a craft stick or straw at the back using tape or glue. Let it dry well.
6. Create a mini stage using a cereal box turned on its side. Now it’s puppet show time!

Last week, we made three puppets and turned off the lights in the living room. We used a small lamp as a spotlight. Emily laughed so much when Mike made his leprechaun talk in a funny voice.

Smart Idea: Teach kids about Irish folklore while crafting. Leprechauns come from Irish stories and legends. You can learn more about Irish traditions from trusted sources like National Geographic. Turning your St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages into puppets becomes a storytelling lesson too.

Fun Tip: Add a small paper coin to the puppet’s hand using a brad fastener. It can move up and down like magic gold. Mike loved that detail so much.

2. Rainbow Treasure Box

Materials Needed:

• Rainbow St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages
• Small cardboard box (shoe box or recycled package)
• Glue
• Yellow paper or gold paint
• Cotton balls
• Clear tape or laminating sheet (optional)

Steps:

1. Print a rainbow page from your St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages collection.
2. Let your child color the rainbow. Encourage bright, bold colors. Lisa sometimes blends colors gently with colored pencils to create a soft effect.
3. Glue the finished page onto the lid of the box. Smooth it flat so there are no bubbles.
4. Add cotton balls at the bottom of the rainbow for clouds.
5. Paint the inside of the box gold or glue yellow paper inside.
6. Let everything dry before filling it with “treasure.”

Last month, Mike filled his box with chocolate coins and small green toys. Lisa wrote little positive notes and placed them inside hers. She called it her “Lucky Thoughts Box.” I loved that idea.

New Helpful Idea: Make this a way to show gratitude. Every day, have the kids write one thing they are grateful for on a small piece of paper and put it in the box. Harvard Health Publishing research shows that activities that teach gratitude are good for both kids’ and adults’ emotional health.

Smart Tip: Cover the finished rainbow page with clear tape or a simple laminating sheet. This protects the coloring page and makes the treasure box stronger. If you print your page on thicker paper from the PDF, it lasts even longer.

Learning Bonus: You can also use the box for counting practice. Add numbered paper coins and ask younger kids to count them aloud. That’s how I mix art and learning at home.

3. Shamrock Sun Catchers using St. Patrick’s Day Coloring Pages

Materials Needed:

• Shamrock St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages
• Green tissue paper (light and dark shades)
• Clear contact paper or transparent plastic sheet
• Safety scissors
• Tape
• String (optional for hanging)

Steps:

• Print a shamrock page from your St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages collection.
• Color the shamrock outline first. Encourage kids to press lightly at the beginning and darker at the edges for a nice effect. Lisa loves mixing light green and mint shades.
• Carefully cut out the inside of the shamrock (parents can handle this part for younger kids). You want to create an open window in the middle.
• Stick clear contact paper behind the cut-out shape.
• Tear small pieces of green tissue paper and stick them onto the contact paper. Layering different greens makes it look magical when the sun shines through.
• Seal it with another layer of contact paper.
• Tape it to a sunny window or add string to hang it.

Last week, when the afternoon sun hit the window, Mike shouted, “Dad, it’s glowing!” And he was right. The light made the greens shine beautifully.

Smart Idea: Use this craft to teach kids about light and how things can be see-through. Describe the way that light can pass through thin things. Adding art and simple science to learning makes it fun and natural.

Extra Tip: If you print your St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages on thicker printable paper from the PDF, the frame of the shamrock will stay strong and not bend easily.

This craft turns a simple coloring page into home decoration. And honestly, seeing their artwork glowing in the window builds real confidence in kids.

4. Pot of Gold Counting Game

Materials Needed:

• Pot of gold St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages
• Black construction paper
• Yellow or gold paper
• Glue
• Marker
• Safety scissors

Steps:

1. Print a pot of gold page from your St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages. I recommend using the free printable PDF sheets I included here so the lines are clear and easy to cut.
2. Color the pot and coins. Encourage kids to use different shades of yellow and even add a little orange for depth. Lisa likes adding tiny white highlights to make coins “shine.”
3. Cut out the pot carefully. Help younger children if needed.
4. Glue the pot onto black construction paper so it stands out.
5. Cut small circles from yellow paper to create extra “gold coins.”
6. Write numbers on each coin using a marker.
7. Ask your child to place the coins in order inside the pot.

Last month, I turned this into a mini math game with Mike. I called out, “Put number 6 in the pot!” He searched and placed it proudly. Then Lisa helped him count down. It turned into a group project that didn’t feel like homework.

Smart Learning Idea: Instead of numbers, write simple math problems on the coins for older kids. For example, “3 + 2” or “10 – 4.” They fix it before putting it in the pot.

New Information for Parents: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that kids stay more interested in learning when they can move around at the same time. Kids learn more actively when they move coins around while they count.

Helpful Tip: Store the coins in a small envelope taped behind the page. That way, the game becomes reusable every year.

This activity turns straightforward coloring pages for St. Patrick’s Day into an instructive game. It demonstrates to kids that education can be engaging, interactive, and joyful. My favorite kind of gold, as a father, is when art and education are combined.

5. St. Patrick’s Day Storybook

Materials Needed:

• Several St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages (different designs like rainbow, leprechaun, and shamrock)
• Blank white paper
• Crayons or colored pencils
• Stapler or hole punch + string
• Pencil and eraser

Steps:

1. Pick four to six St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages and print them out one at a time. Pick new scenes every page to make the story go deeper.
2. Let your kids color each page fully before assembling the book. Encourage them to think about what is happening in each picture.
3. Place one blank paper after every colored page. These blank pages are for writing the story.
4. Stack the pages in order and staple them carefully (parents handle this part), or punch holes and tie with string.
5. Sit together and help your child write one or two simple sentences per page. Younger kids can dictate while you write for them.

On a quiet evening last week, Lisa created a story about a princess leprechaun who protected her rainbow kingdom. Mike added a blue lion who guarded the pot of gold. It made no sense… but it made perfect sense to them. And that’s what matters.

Smart Learning Idea: Turn this into a beginning-middle-end lesson.

• First page: Introduce the character.
• Middle pages: Show the problem.
• Last page: Solve it.

This simple structure makes it easier to tell stories. Reading Rockets’ educational experts say that drawing and writing together helps young writers become more confident and learn to read and write.

Helpful Parenting Tip: If your child feels stuck, ask guiding questions like:

• “What is the leprechaun looking for?”
• “Why is the rainbow important?”

Questions spark imagination without taking control of the story.

Extra Creative Twist: Before you bind the book, put speech bubbles right on the coloring page. It makes the St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages look like real comics.

6. Lucky Door Hanger

Materials Needed:

• St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages (shamrock, rainbow, or leprechaun design)
• Thick cardboard or cereal box
• Glue
• Scissors
• Ribbon or yarn
• Markers or stickers for decoration

Steps:

1. Print and color your chosen St. Patrick’s Day coloring page. Encourage kids to personalize it. Lisa once used pink outlines around her shamrocks, and it looked beautiful.
2. Glue the finished page onto thick cardboard to make it strong. Smooth it carefully so it doesn’t wrinkle.
3. Draw a large door-hanger shape around the design (like a rectangle with a half-circle opening at the top).
4. Carefully cut out the shape. Parents should assist younger children during this step.
5. Punch a hole at the top or cut a simple hook opening so it fits over the door handle.
6. Add ribbon, stickers, or a handwritten message like “Lucky Room” or “Welcome, Leprechauns!”

Last month, Mike made one that said “No Leprechauns Allowed!” and taped it proudly to his bedroom door. Two days later, he changed it to “Leprechauns Welcome.” That’s childhood for you.

Learning Opportunity: Before cutting, let older kids measure the space between the door handles. This adds a little math to the mix, like measuring width and planning spacing.

Practical Tip: If printing multiple sheets, use slightly thicker printable paper from the PDF. It gives the craft a more professional look and prevents bending.

Door hangers are simple, but they give children ownership of their space. Turning St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages into decorations makes them feel like designers of their own world. And as a dad, watching that confidence grow is my favorite reward.

7. Rainbow Wind Spinner using St. Patrick’s Day Coloring Pages

Materials Needed:

• Round rainbow St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages
• Crayons or colored pencils
• Safety scissors
• Hole punch
• String or yarn
• Stick or hanger

Steps:

1. Get a circle rainbow page from your collection of St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages and print it out. No cutting should happen until your child is done coloring. Encourage bright colors and even blending two shades together. Lisa sometimes blends red and orange softly to make the rainbow look more real.
2. Once colored, draw a spiral line starting from the outside edge and moving toward the center (like a big swirl). Parents can draw the guideline first for younger kids.
3. Carefully cut along the spiral line. Go slowly. This step needs patience.
4. Punch a small hole at the top outer edge and tie a string securely.
5. Hang it from a stick, hanger, or even a curtain rod near a window or outside on the balcony.

Last week, Mike stood outside in the breeze and watched his spinner spin and dance in the air. He said, “It’s alive!” over and over. He was so happy with that simple move.

It’s a good idea to talk about wind power at this time. Tell kids that air that is moving can make things move. You and your child can look at simple weather explanations together in reliable publications like National Geographic. When art turns into science, it doesn’t feel like a lesson.

Skill Builder: Cutting a spiral strengthens control and coordination. It challenges older kids just enough without being too hard.

Helpful Tip: If the paper feels too thin, glue the colored page onto light cardstock before cutting. It helps the spinner keep its shape.

8. St. Patrick’s Day Greeting Cards

Materials Needed:

• Smaller St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages (or resize before printing)
• Cardstock paper folded in half
• Glue
• Markers
• Stickers or small decorations
• Envelope (optional)

Steps:

1. Print out separate sheets of smaller St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages. You can change the PDF’s size before printing it so that it fits well on a card.
2. Let your child color the design neatly. Encourage careful coloring since this will be a gift.
3. Cut out the finished design and glue it onto the front of the folded cardstock.
4. Write a kind message inside. Younger children can dictate while you write. Older kids can practice writing independently.
5. Decorate with small stickers or borders around the edges.

Last time, Lisa made a card for Emily that said, “You are our lucky charm.” Mike made one for his teacher with green scribbles everywhere—but he wrote his name proudly at the bottom. That confidence matters more than perfection.

Emotional Learning Idea: Use this craft to teach gratitude. Ask your child:

• “Who makes you feel lucky?”
• “What would you like to thank them for?”

According to Harvard Health Publishing, gratitude activities help children develop positive thinking and emotional balance.

Creative Upgrade: Put a small pocket inside the card to hold a note on paper that looks like a “gold coin.” It turns an ordinary page into a gift.

Practical Tip: If you print more than one sheet, make sure you keep extras. When kids are young, like Mike, mistakes happen, and having extra pages saves you from stress.

If your kids enjoyed these ideas, you might also love our creative crafts using printable Easter coloring pages or explore fun projects with free Thanksgiving coloring sheets for kids.

Final Thoughts

Over the years, I’ve learned that St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages are more than just color. They can be used to make puppets, games, decorations, and even traditions that are passed down through the family. One free PDF sheet that we can print out can be used for a math lesson, a story, or just a moment of laughter around the table.

You do not need expensive tools or perfect results. With crayons and a few pages printed, you can let your kids choose what to do. It’s not the rainbow at the end that’s magical; it’s the pride and happiness they feel when they say, “I made this.”