Rainbow with a Pot of Gold Paper Plate Craft

Turn an ordinary paper plate into a colorful rainbow scene complete with a shamrock and a pot of gold. This bright and cheerful pot of gold paper plate craft is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day and can be completed in about 30 minutes.

With simple supplies and bold rainbow paint, this project makes a fun seasonal decoration for the classroom or home.

Pot of gold paper plate craft featured image

Materials for This Rainbow Pot of Gold Craft

This project uses basic craft supplies and a printable pattern to create the shamrock and pot details.

Materials:

• Paper Plate
• Buttons, Yellow and Green
• Cardstock, Green, Black, Yellow
• Craft Paint – Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple
• Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
• Paintbrush
• Scissors
• Permanent Marker, Black
• Pencil
• Patterns

Once your supplies are ready, it’s time to begin.

How to Make a Paper Plate Rainbow Pot of Gold

Follow the steps below to create your rainbow, shamrock, and pot of gold.

Step 1: Gather Your Supplies

Gather all supplies and prepare your workspace.

Craft supplies arranged on a wooden surface including a white paper plate, six bottles of acrylic paint in rainbow colors, green buttons in a jar, green and light green cardstock, a paintbrush, black marker, scissors, and a hot glue gun.

Step 2: Fold the Paper Plate

Fold the paper plate at the one third mark by lining up the bottom edge with the bottom edge of the circular indent. Crease firmly.

A white paper plate folded in half resting on a wooden surface with orange-handled scissors placed underneath.

Step 3: Cut the Paper Plate

Cut the paper plate along the fold with scissors.

Step 4: Paint the Rainbow

Basecoat the inside of the paper plate in arching stripes of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple acrylic craft paint. Set aside to dry completely and apply a second coat if necessary.

A half paper plate painted in rainbow stripes with red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple bands. Paint bottles and a paintbrush are displayed behind it.

Step 5: Cut the Center of the Rainbow

Cut the remaining white section of the paper plate from the center of the rainbow to create an arch shape.

The center of the painted rainbow paper plate has been cut out, leaving a rainbow arch shape. Orange-handled scissors are placed beside it.

Step 6: Trace the Patterns

Download and print the rainbow patterns, then cut them out with scissors. Trace the shamrock once onto green cardstock, the pot once onto black cardstock, and the gold once onto yellow cardstock with a pencil.

You may also use construction paper, colored craft foam, or craft felt for this project.

Paper pattern templates for a shamrock, pot, and cloud placed on green, black, and yellow cardstock with a pencil on a wooden surface.

Step 7: Cut Out the Shapes

Cut out the traced shapes, making sure to cut inside the lines for a clean finished project.

Cut out cardstock shapes including a green shamrock, a black pot, and a yellow cloud shape placed on a wooden surface with scissors nearby.

Step 8: Decorate the Shamrock

Attach assorted green buttons to the shamrock with a glue gun and glue sticks.

You could also use pom poms, stickers, or fingerprints dipped in paint to decorate the shamrock.

A green cardstock shamrock decorated with various shades of green buttons. A hot glue gun and containers of buttons sit nearby.

Step 9: Create the Pot of Gold

Glue the gold piece to the top of the pot. Attach assorted yellow buttons to the pot of gold with a glue gun and glue sticks.

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

A black cardstock pot shape decorated with yellow buttons along the top edge. A hot glue gun and containers of buttons are visible on the wooden surface.

Step 10: Assemble the Craft

Attach the shamrock to the left side and the pot of gold to the right side of the rainbow using a glue gun and glue sticks.

Shamrock and pot of gold being glued to the painted rainbow.

Then hang your finished craft up for all to see!

A completed paper plate rainbow craft displayed with a green button-decorated shamrock on the left and a black pot with yellow buttons on the right.

Grab This Craftivity

Looking to extend this activity? Grab the coordinating Rainbow Pot of Gold Craftivity for a complete, ready-to-use classroom resource.

Please Share This Rainbow Pot of Gold Craft

Did you make this Paper Plate Rainbow Pot of Gold Craft with your kiddos? I would love to see your finished creations. Share your projects and tag me so I can celebrate your St. Patrick’s Day fun with you.