8 DIY Leprechaun Trap Ideas for a Magical St. Patrick’s Day

For decades, children have been trying to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy. But what about St. Patrick? Now, inspired by the best-selling children’s book How to Catch a Leprechaun by author Adam Wallace, we’re sharing some magical leprechaun trap ideas just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. Perhaps the luck of the Irish will be with you.

What is a Leprechaun Trap?

The Leprechaun Trap tradition is a fun and creative way for families to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, akin to the Elf on the Shelf idea from Christmas, but this tradition is far simpler. Instead of relocating a mischievous elf every single night, you simply set up a leprechaun trap on the eve of St. Patrick's Day. If you find gold coins or treats inside the trap when you wake up the next morning, it means you've captured the spirit of a leprechaun.

This fun tradition is great for children because it can be set up with minimal adult supervision. Parents can slip coins or treats into the trap while the kids are asleep—or maybe a leprechaun will beat them to it! To get started with this charming tradition, consider reading How to Catch a Leprechaun with the rest of your family. It's a playful way to learn about St. Patrick’s Day and spur creativity as your little ones brainstorm and build their own traps using craft supplies around your home. Then let the follwoing DIY leprechaun trap ideas spark your creativity.

1. DIY Leprechaun Trap with Candy

Create a delightful St. Patrick's Day arrangement featuring a large jar filled with bright, colorful marshmallows and yummy chocolate coins. Add a glittery 'free gold' sign and a shiny ladder crafted from metallic paper straws to attract leprechauns.

For a quick and easy candy substitute, fill the jar with Lucky Charms cereal or any leftover Valentine heart candies you have in your kitchen.

2. DIY Leprechaun Trap Tray

Effortlessly transform your leprechaun trap into a St. Patrick's Day display by assembling it on a beautiful decorative tray instead of using a traditional box. A gold tray sets the festive tone, providing the perfect base for a whimsical centerpiece. Include fun elements like a miniature rainbow, cauldron, and top hat for the trap, accentuated with pieces of shamrock confetti and gold coins.

3. DIY Shoebox Leprechaun Trap

Many DIY leprechaun trap ideas include recycled materials, which encourage creativity. Use a green cardboard box, or paint a shoebox green, as a backdrop for a small pot of gold and chocolate coins. Gold pipe cleaners and shamrock-shaped garland bring in extra color and add charm to the trap.

4. Rainbow Road Leprechaun Trap

Every leprechaun knows that at the end of a rainbow, there’s sure to be a pot of gold. So, borrow this idea from Harli of Ms. Harli’s Honeys: Lay down a sheet of rainbow-striped paper for leprechauns to follow, then let the kids decorate the sides of a box covered in green paper. Prop it up with a wooden skewer cut in half. When a leprechaun comes to steal your pot of gold, the box will fall, trapping him inside.

5. Leprechaun Trap Garden

A secret trap door is a sneaky way to catch a leprechaun. Build a ladder of painted green crafts sticks, then mount it against a small box (like the wooden one seen above). Cover the top with bright colored paper in hopes that a curious leprechaun will climb the ladder and fall in. Tonya Staab decorated her scene inspired by the book to make the trap even more enticing.

6. Bird House Leprechaun Trap

Kids will love decorating this adorable DIY leprechaun trap. Help them paint a small wooden birdhouse in a rainbow of colors and allow it to dry. Place the house on a decorative platter, surrounded by chocolate coins and sparkly foam dots (available at crafts stores). Print out or make your own colorful rainbow on cardstock and attach it to the roof of your trap to attract leprechauns by the dozen.

7. Top Hat Leprechaun Trap

Leprechaun trap ideas wouldn’t be worth its gold if one didn’t feature the iconic top hat. Kellie from The Suburban Soapbox made the festive hat out of green poster board, then topped it with a pipe-cleaner rainbow, cotton ball clouds, and a black pot filled with gold candy—or individually-wrapped candies. We’re loving the ladder made from green paper straws, too.

8. DIY Leprechaun Trap Box

This homemade leprechaun trap is super easy to make. Steph from Modern Parents Messy Kids transformed a plain brown box with a stripe of green paint, sparkly shamrocks, and a pipe-cleaner rainbow. Chipboard boxes like this one are inexpensive and can be found at most crafts stores, so why not buy a trap for each child to decorate?