Catch the sun this St Patrick’s Day with this shamrock suncatcher. It’s an easy paper plate craft for kids that comes with a free printable template to start you off.

What you need:

• 1 x shamrock printable
• 2 x paper plates
• 15cm square of green cellophane
• green paint
• glue
• scissors
• string

Optional extras:

• glitter
• ribbon
• a hole punch

Activity:

Paint both plates green.

Use the free printable template as a guide to draw a large shamrock shape onto one of the plates, then cut out the shape.

Now place one plate on top of the other and use the cut-out shape to trace another identical shamrock onto the second plate.

Cut that shape out of the second plate.

Use green cellophane to cover the two cut-out shapes from the inside of the suncatcher.

Use the free template as a guide and now trace a smaller shamrock shape onto a piece of cardboard. You could also use the off-cuts from the two paper plates you already cut out.

Decorate the smaller shamrock with glitter or sparkly stuff if you have it.

Attach a piece of string or ribbon to the shamrock and place it so that it will hang inside the suncatcher, with the string hanging over the edge with a 10cm tail to hang the suncatcher with when you’re finished.

Glue the two plates together (with the hanging bit suspended inside) by glueing around the edges of the plates. They should face right sides inward to each other.

Use a hole punch to punch holes all around the edge and thread ribbon through the holes for extra decoration.

Hang your suncatcher on a window where it will catch the sun and form shamrock shadows for St Patrick’s Day.