Leprechaun Gnome Paper Plate Craft

If you’re looking for a festive and fun St. Patrick’s Day craft, this Leprechaun Gnome Paper Plate Craft is a great project to make with the kiddos. With bright green hats, fluffy orange pom pom beards, and a shamrock accent, these cheerful little gnomes are perfect for celebrating the holiday.

This craft uses simple supplies like a paper plate, cardstock, paint, and pom poms, making it an easy activity for classrooms, homeschool, or an afternoon of crafting at home. Best of all, one paper plate creates two gnomes, so kids can make a pair to display or share.

Graphic with two paper plate gnome crafts and the text “leprechaun gnome paper plate craft”.

Materials for This Leprechaun Gnome Craft

Before starting this St. Patrick’s Day gnome craft, gather your supplies and print the pattern pieces so everything is ready to go.

Materials:

• Paper Plate
• Pom Poms, Orange
• Acrylic Craft Paint – Orange
• Cardstock – Bright Green, Medium Green, Tan, Black, Yellow
• Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
• Paintbrush
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Patterns

Once your materials are ready, follow the step-by-step instructions below to create your leprechaun gnome craft.

How to Make a Paper Plate Leprechaun Gnome

Follow these simple directions to assemble your St. Patrick’s Day gnome craft.

Step 1: Gather Your Supplies

Gather all the supplies needed for this project and prepare your workspace.

Paper plate, orange pom poms, orange acrylic paint bottle, paintbrush, scissors, marker, glue gun, and sheets of green, yellow, black, and brown cardstock on a wood background.

Step 2: Fold and Cut the Paper Plate

Fold the paper plate in half and score the fold firmly.

White paper plate with orange scissors placed across the center on a wood surface.

Cut along the fold with scissors so the paper plate is divided into two halves.

Paper plate cut into two curved pieces with orange scissors beside them on a wood background.

Step 3: Paint the Gnome Beards

Basecoat the inside of both halves of the paper plate with orange acrylic craft paint. Allow the paint to dry completely and apply a second coat if needed.

Two curved paper plate pieces painted orange with an acrylic paint bottle and paintbrush nearby.

Step 4: Download and Print the Patterns

Download and print the gnome patterns, then cut them out with scissors. Trace the hat once and the shamrock once onto bright green cardstock. Trace the hat once and the shamrock once onto medium green cardstock. Trace the hat bands twice onto black cardstock, the noses twice onto tan cardstock, and the buckles twice onto yellow cardstock using a pencil.

You could also use colored craft foam or craft felt for this project.

Green cardstock triangles, shamrock cutouts, black hat bands, yellow buckle shapes, and brown circle pieces arranged on a wood surface with scissors.

Step 5: Cut Out the Pattern Pieces

Cut out all traced pattern pieces with scissors, making sure to cut inside the lines for a clean finished project.

Paper plate piece with green cardstock triangle hat, black hat band, yellow buckle, and brown circle attached.

Step 6: Assemble the Hats and Faces

Attach the buckles to the hat bands, then secure the hat bands to the hats using a glue gun and glue sticks.

Paper plate piece with light green cardstock hat attached and a glue gun positioned nearby.

Glue the assembled hats to the half paper plate beards, then attach the nose. Use the photo as a guide for placement.

Paper plate piece with dark green cardstock hat attached and a glue gun positioned nearby.

Step 7: Add the Pom Pom Beards

Attach assorted orange pom poms to both halves of the paper plate beards with a glue gun and glue sticks.

Tip: You can use liquid craft glue for this project, but you will need to allow extra drying time.

Orange pom poms being placed on an orange painted paper plate beard below a green hat.

Step 8: Finish the Gnomes

To finish the craft, attach the bright green shamrock to the medium green hat and the medium green shamrock to the bright green hat using a glue gun and glue sticks.

Decorative elements being glued to paper plate gnome crafts with green hats and orange pom pom beards on a wood background.

Then hang your finished craft up for all to see!

Close up of two completed paper plate gnome crafts with green hats, shamrocks, orange pom pom beards, and yellow buckles.

Grab This Craftivity

Extend the fun with a coordinating St. Patrick’s Day craftivity that pairs perfectly with this leprechaun gnome craft and adds another engaging activity to your seasonal plans.

Please Share These Leprechaun Gnomes

Did you make this Leprechaun Gnome Paper Plate Craft with your kiddos? I would love to see your finished creations. Share your photos and tag me so I can celebrate your St. Patrick’s Day crafting fun with you!