Leprechaun and Hat Pony Bead Crafts
Make St. Patrick’s Day extra fun with this cute Leprechaun and Hat pony bead craft. Kids can hang these festive bead designs from a backpack, key chain, or zipper pull to show off their holiday spirit. They are fun to make, easy to share with friends, and a great way to enjoy a little hands-on holiday creativity.
Supplies
For the Hat
- 24 green pony beads
- 4 black pony beads
- 2 silver pony beads
- 4 feet satin cord
- 1 lanyard hook
For the Leprechaun
- 26 green pony beads
- 4 ivory pony beads
- 7 white pony beads
- 6 black pony beads
- 2 silver pony beads
- 4 feet satin cord
- 1 lanyard hook
Instructions
- Fold your cord in half to find the center.
- Use a half hitch, as shown in the diagram, to attach the cord to the lanyard hook.
- Lace the beads using the patterns on the Printables page as your guide.
- Tie off the ends securely. Add a small dab of glue to the knot to help hold it in place, then let it dry.
- For easier beading, place a little glue on about one inch of the satin cord and shape it into a point. Once dry, it will slide through the beads more easily.
Fun Facts
For many years, blue was the color most often associated with St. Patrick. Green was once considered unlucky. St. Patrick’s blue symbolized Ireland for centuries, and the Irish Presidential Standard is still blue today.
Source: Irish Central – Fun facts about St. Patrick’s Day
Patterns, Templates and Printables
Click on a pattern to open it in a new window to print.
Teacher Friendly Educational Extension
This St. Patrick’s Day craft works well as a classroom activity for building fine motor skills and following visual patterns. Teachers can also use it as a simple introduction to Irish holiday traditions and color symbolism. Have students compare the colors used in the bead patterns and talk about what colors represent in different cultures and celebrations. This also makes a fun small-group craft for holiday classroom activities.
Supplies
Instructions
Patterns, Templates and Printables
Click on a pattern to open it in a new window
Contributor
Terri is the creator of makingfriends.com, freekidscrafts.com, scoutswaps.com and badginabag.com. Her work is republished all over the internet and is considered the queen of kids crafts.
