DIY Leprechaun Hat Craft for Kids 🍀

Mar 17
4 min read

St Patrick’s Day DIY Leprechaun hat - Young child wearing a green leprechaun hat smiles in a room decorated with shamrock streamers on a white background. Festive mood.

A fun St Patrick’s Day craft you can make at home

If you're celebrating St Patrick’s Day or planning a themed party, this DIY Leprechaun Hat craft is a fun activity to try with the kids.

Made using simple materials like coloured card, scissors and glue, this craft creates a wearable leprechaun hat that’s perfect for dress-up, parties, school celebrations or festive photos.

The best part is that you can measure the hat to fit your child’s head, so it’s comfortable to wear while they hunt for pots of gold or pretend to be mischievous leprechauns.

Let’s get started!

What You Will Need

Measuring tape
4 × A4 green card
2 × 12 × 12 pieces of green card (or two A4 sheets glued together)
1 × A3 black card (or two A4 sheets glued together)
1 × A4 yellow card
Double-sided tape or glue
Scissors
Pencil
Compass (optional)

St Patrick’s Day DIY Leprechaun hat - Craft materials on a table: green top hat, colored paper, ruler, orange scissors, pencil, glue stick, tape, measuring tape. Cheerful crafting scene.

Step-by-Step Instructions For Your

1. Measure Your Child’s Head

Use a measuring tape to measure around your child’s head.

Add 1 cm to this measurement so the hat fits comfortably.

Example:If your child’s head measures 53 cm, add 1 cm so the final measurement is 54 cm.

St Patrick’s Day DIY Leprechaun hat - A boy smiles as someone measures his head with a tape measure. He's wearing a patterned hoodie. Green decor is visible in the background.

2. Create the Hat Cylinder

Cut a piece of green card that is:

13 cm high ( 5 inch ) × your child’s head measurement + 3 cm ( 1 inch )

Example: Leo's head measured 53 cm (21 inch), I need to add 3 cm to this so my card would need to be:

13 cm (5 inch ) × 56 cm (21 inch )

If your card isn’t long enough, simply glue two pieces of card together.

St Patrick’s Day DIY Leprechaun hat - A green paper lies flat on a wooden table, illuminated by soft indoor lighting. No text or additional objects are visible.

3. Make the Tabs

Draw a line 1 inch from the top of the card.

Draw another line 1 inch from the bottom of the card.

Fold or score along both lines to create tabs.

St Patrick’s Day DIY Leprechaun hat - A piece of green paper with pencil lines on a wooden table. The paper is divided by faint lines; the background shows grid-like markings.

On one of the tabs, cut triangle-shaped teeth along the edge.

St Patrick’s Day DIY Leprechaun hat - Green paper with triangular edges on a wooden table, next to a transparent cutting mat with grid lines. Bright, organized workspace.

4. Form the Hat Shape

Place glue or double-sided tape on one short edge of the card.

Attach the other short edge to create a cylinder shape.

The triangle teeth should be at the top of the cylinder.

Fold the triangle teeth inwards.

St Patrick’s Day DIY Leprechaun hat - Green paper cylinder with triangular cutouts on top, placed on a wooden tabletop. Background includes blurred furniture. Bright lighting.

5. Create the Top of the Hat

Place the cylinder on top of another piece of green card and draw around it.

(If you want to be more precise, measure the diameter of the cylinder, divide it in half to find the radius, and use a compass to draw the circle.)

Cut out the circle.

Place the circle onto another piece of green card, draw around it and cut out a second identical circle.

St Patrick’s Day DIY Leprechaun hat - Two overlapping green paper circles on a wooden surface. The green is vibrant, contrasting with the light wood background.

6. Fit the Inside Circle

Check if one of the circles fits inside the cylinder.

If it’s slightly too large, trim it until it fits snugly.

This circle will form the inside top of the hat.

Add glue or double-sided tape around the edge and middle of this circle.

Place it inside the hat and push it up until it touches the folded triangle teeth.

St Patrick’s Day DIY Leprechaun hat - Hands crafting a green paper lantern on a wooden table. Scissors, tape, and colored paper scattered around. Bright, creative atmosphere.

7. Attach the Top

Add glue or double-sided tape to the second circle.

Turn the cylinder upside down and press it onto the glued circle.

The two circles will stick together, sealing the top of the hat.

St Patrick’s Day DIY Leprechaun hat - Green paper cylinder on a wooden table, surrounded by white paper scraps, pencil, orange scissors, and yellow paper. Craft project in progress.

8. Create the Hat Brim

On the tab at the botton of the cylinder, cut straight slits along the edge to create small tabs and fold them outwards

St Patrick’s Day DIY Leprechaun hat - A green paper vase with fringed edges on a wooden table, set against a dim indoor background.

Take one of your 12 × 12 green card sheets.

Place the hat in the centre and draw around it.

Measure the diameter of this circle and draw another circle 10cm (4 inches) larger around it.

Cut around the outer circle.

Fold the circle in half and cut out the inner circle to create a halo shape.

St Patrick’s Day DIY Leprechaun hat - A green paper circle with drawn segments on a wooden table, orange scissors, and a clear ruler nearby.

9. Double the Brim

Place this halo shape onto another piece of green card and draw around it.

Cut it out so you now have two halo shapes.

St Patrick’s Day DIY Leprechaun hat - Child's hands drawing on green paper with a pencil, surrounded by scissors and a ruler on a wooden table. Crafting activity in progress.

10. Attach the Brim

Add glue or tape to one halo and slide it down over the hat.

Stick it to the bottom tabs.

Turn the hat upside down and place the second halo on top of the first.

Press them together so the tabs are sandwiched between the two layers.

You should now have the full hat shape.

St Patrick’s Day DIY Leprechaun hat - A large, bright green top hat sits on a wooden table. The background is a brown curtain and a white wall corner.

11. Add the Hat Band

Take your A3 black card and cut a strip 5 cm (2 inches) wide.

Wrap the strip around the hat and glue it into place.

St Patrick’s Day DIY Leprechaun hat - A green top hat with a black band sits on a wooden table. The background is neutral, adding focus to the vibrant hat.

12. Make the Buckle

Cut a rectangle from the yellow card measuring:

5 cm (2 inches) × 8cm (3 inches)

Draw a 2cm (1 inch) × 5cm (2 inch) rectangle inside it and cut it out so it forms a buckle shape.

Glue the buckle onto the black strip at the front of the hat.

St Patrick’s Day DIY Leprechaun hat - Yellow cardboard cutout with a rectangular hole on a light wood textured surface. The setting appears calm and simple.

Optional Decoration

For an extra festive touch, cut a shamrock from a different shade of green card and glue it onto the hat.

Your DIY Leprechaun Hat is Finished! 🍀

Your Leprechaun hat is now ready to wear.

St Patrick’s Day DIY Leprechaun hat - A green leprechaun hat with a black band and yellow buckle sits on a wooden table. A black chair and white wall are in the background.

This craft is perfect for:

St Patrick’s Day parties
School dress-up days
Irish celebrations
Craft afternoons with the kids

You could even make a whole set of hats for a St Patrick’s Day party so everyone can join in the fun.

Happy crafting