Articulated Leprechaun Paper Puppet for St Patrick's Day - Red Ted Art

Dancing Leprechaun Puppets

It is about time that a Leprechaun visited Red Ted Art… don’t you think? And what better way to have fun this St Patrick’s Day with a printable Leprechaun Paper Puppet. This is a great paper toy to make with kids this St Patrick’s Day. Choose from our leprechaun printables – be it the Colour Your Own Leprechaun or the ready coloured (to cut and assemble) Leprechaun Paper Puppet. And now with a great Lesson Plan and printable instructions on Teachers Pay Teachers too! A super cute little paper toy for St Patrick’s Day! A fantastic addition to our St Patrick’s Day Crafts list!

First shared in Feb 2018

We have MANY more fantastic Paper Puppets with Templates for all occassions – a fantastic set of Christmas Articulated Paper Puppets, but also bats, dragons and Day of the Dead Puppet Printables. Do have a good browse!

This is a collaboration with Hattifant who has some AMAZING Paper Bauble Leprechaun Puppets – both a boy leprechaun and girl leprechaun to choose from!

Leprechaun Paper Puppet – Materials

Light card stock is perfect for these DIY Leprecaun Puppets – you can also Laminate them if you wish!
Either paper & a laminator and laminting sheets OR light card stock that will fit in the printer
Hole punch (single hole hole punches are super handy US / UK)
Brads/ split pins (US / UK)
Green Bakers Twine (oh how I LOVE bakers twine) (US/ UK)
A large pointy needle
PENS – optional – if you decide to download the “colour your own” Leprechaun Paper Puppet Template

YOUR Leprechaun Articulated Paper Puppet

This printable Lesson Plan and template is available on TPT for $3 – for the price of a coffee, you will enable me to continue managing and running this website!

How to make your Leprechaun Paper Puppet (Articulated)

Watch the Paper Puppet Assembly video or follow the written step by step instructions below!! Enjoy.

I love that “colour your own” version really allows you to personalise your printable. Have fun with colours, patterns and shadings!

Those little Kawaii Shamrocks in the image? They are our Shamrock Corner Bookmarks!! Do make them too!

How to make a St Patrick’s Day paper puppet move – step by step instructions

Get your Lesson Plan, printable instructions and of course printables too over on my Teacher’s Pay Teacher’s Store for $3. Enjoy!

Begin by choosing either your colour your own paper puppet or ready to assemble Leprechaun puppet -print the Leprechaun that suits your child best! If you are using a laminator, print on ordinary paper, if you are using just card, print directly onto the card. Be sure you use card that is suitable for your printer.
If colouring, colour your Leprechaun now…. once fully coloured, run it through the laminator.
It is now time to cut out all your Leprechaun “bits”. Cut them as neatly as you can.
Using your hole punch, make holes for the moving parts – 4 in the body, one each in the arms and legs of your Leprechaun Puppet.

How to Assemble a Paper Puppet

Thread your needle. It does help to have a large eyed, pointy needle – especially if using a laminator. If you do laminate your paper puppets you MAY need to make the holes for the bakers twine with scissors.
Loosely connect your arms and legs with your brads / split pins.
Now guide the thread throw the marked hole of one arm and then through the other.
Make sure Leprechaun’s arms are in the “down position” and that the thread runs across in a straight manner – not too tight, not too loose. Knot the other end.
Repeat for Leprechaun’s legs.
Now you have one last thing to do – add a connecting piece of string between the arms and the legs – it is important that this isn’t too tight (the arms won’t move) or too loose (the legs own’t move).. again.. it needs to be “just right”…