5 Paper St. Patrick's Day Crafts for Kids

Materials and supplies: orange paper, white paper, green paper, ruler, pencil, scissors, tape.

1) Cut typing paper or construction paper into strips approximately 1 1/2 inches wide. Use a ruler, if desired, to measure strips and mark straight lines to cut along.

2) Make a round cuff out of a green strip and tape it so it holds together. Thread a white strip through the green one, form a ring and tape it. The next cuff should be orange, then white, then start with green again and repeat the pattern until the chain is the desired length.

3) Hang the chain as garland to decorate.

Paper Snake

Materials and Supplies: cardstock circle or paper plate, pencil, scissors, coloring supplies such as markers or crayons.

1) Lightly trace a spiral around the cardstock or plate until you reach the center. Cut along the line so that your circle falls into an open, spiraling, springy strip.

2) Fashion one end to be the head of the snake by rounding it with the scissor.

3) Decorate the snake by coloring him or giving him features. Hang snakes from the ceiling to spiral down, or drape them over things.

Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow

Materials and supplies: paper cake plate, black marker or paint, scissors, tape, colored paper or ribbons.

1) Turn the paper plate upside-down and color or paint it black. Let it dry.

2) Cut a slice off across the top inch of the plate. This will make it look like a rounded pot. Cut the slice in half. Tape it to the uncolored side of the plate so that the points are sticking down like pot legs.

3) Cut a piece of yellow or gold paper in a random, blobbly shape. Tape it to the uncolored side of the plate so that it slightly sticks out above the pot, so the pot looks like it is filled with gold.

4) Cut colored strips of paper or ribbon. Tape one end of each of them to the back of the cauldron to look like it is at the end of a rainbow.

St. Patrick's Day Shamrock Thumb Prints Place Setting

Materials and Supplies: blank white paper place mat, plain white cup, white index card, markers, green paint, small paper plate, pencil, scissors, tape.

1) Squirt some green paint onto the paper plate. Dip your thumb in it and make imprints in clusters of three. Make one cluster on the cup, one cluster on an index card, and several around the perimeter of the place mat. The three thumbprints together should resemble. Allow them to dry.

2) Trace a circle around the shamrock on the index card and cut out the circle. Cut out a strip from the index card, roll it into a cuff and tape it into place. Tape the round shamrock cut-out onto the front of the cuff for a napkin holder.

3) Use markers to make stems for the shamrocks and further decorate everything. Set the table for a St. Patrick's Day party, snack or dinner.

Irish Kisses

Materials and Supplies:green paper, scissors, tape.

1) Fold a piece of green paper in half.

2) Trace two slightly curved humps from the fold line (one about 2 inches above the other) and let them meet toward the end of the paper.

3) Imagine what half a crescent moon would look like. Trace that below the first tracing, with the point going up and meeting just below the point of the other figure.

4) Cut along the trace lines. Unfold the two pieces of paper and you'll have an upper lip and a lower lip. If you are not entirely satisfied with the shape, trim with the scissors.

5) Tape the two pieces on walls, the upper lip above the lower, to make them look like a pair of green kissing lips. Decorate the walls with kisses.