As our neck of the woods is slowly starting to green up outside (even if it’s just because the snow is melting) I’d like to share with you a St. Patrick’s Day craft with a touch of green itself.
This is the project from my latest Maker Magic program with the library. It’s a take-home kit I put together for 46 “lucky” patrons who pre-registered. I wish I could open the program up to everyone, but that’s just not possible. The next best thing I can do is share the instructions with you here on my blog.
And if you are interested in giving this craft a try, this month I am able to supply you with most everything you’ll need, except for the piece of wood and Mod Podge. I have the paper, the sparkle shamrocks, the pop dots, and the twine, rainbow string and green ribbon. Just shoot me an email at graib@cidlibrary.org and I’ll put together a supply bag for you for pick-up at the library.
Let’s get started!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
One Piece of wood – I purchased mine from a great Etsy shop called Sawdust Design Studio. They came pre-stained and sanded. Those I used measured 10 inches by 3.5 inches and were ¾ inches thick. (BTW, I ordered 47 pieces of wood, including one for the sample. Below is what my dining room table looked like for weeks.)
Assorted green patterned cardstock (You'll need five patterns, a different
one for each letter in LUCKY.)
Sparkle or glitter gold cardstock
Twine
Rainbow string
Green Ribbon (I ordered 4 kinds of ribbon online from an Etsy shop called Ribbon Sweets. I've been using Etsy a lot lately to purchase great supplies for my library programs. I find lots of good stuff there with decent prices. And most of them package their products so sweetly. This is what the ribbon arrived looking like.)
Mod Podge
Pop dots, 1/4 inch in size
Foam brush
Scissors
Pencil
Shamrock Paper Punch
WHAT YOU’LL DO
As I mentioned above, the wood I purchased for this project came already stained and sanded. If you want your LUCKY sign to look as mine did, you’ll need to do this step on your own.
Print and cut out the L U C K Y templates. The link to my templates is right above.
Trace each letter on a different pattern of green cardstock. If you trace on the backside of the cardstock, you won’t have to worry about the trace lines showing. Just remember to trace the letter backwards when placed on the backside of the cardstock, so that when you turn the letter over, it will face the correct way.
Cut out each letter.
Place the letters on the board how you want them. If your board measures the same as what I used, they will need to be overlapped somewhat to fit. Be sure to leave about two inches to one side to allow for the rainbow string and twine.
Take a picture on your phone of how you’ve placed the letters to refer to as you glue them down. We’ll use Mod Podge to glue the letters down.
The first letter to be glued down needs to be one that’s “on the bottom” and is overlapped by another letter or two. It’s important to get the first letter placed properly as the placement of all the others will go from there and it will ensure they fit the board as they should.
I actually had two “bottom” letters, K and U. Starting with the K, I made a very light pencil mark on the board, along one edge of the K, so I’d know exactly where it should be placed. I did the same with the U and then removed all the letters from the board.
Apply a coat of Mod Podge to the entire back of your “bottom” letter, being sure to cover all the edges and points of the letter. Turn it over and carefully place it on the board where it belongs. Using this method, I placed both the K and U and then moved on and glued down the overlapping letters as well.
When all letters have been glued securely on your board, apply a layer of Mod Podge over them and the entire front of your board.
When the front side is dry, give the backside and all the edges a coating of Mod Podge.
When the Mod Podge is thoroughly dry, it’s time to add the twine, rainbow string, and ribbon. Starting with the rainbow string, wrap it around one end of board and tie the two ends tightly together.
Now wrap the twine two times around the board, making kind of an X over the rainbow string. Make a bow, tying it firmly.
Wrap the piece of ribbon around the center of the bow, tying it all firmly together.
Punch out three shamrocks using the shamrock paper punch, if you have one. If you don't, I can make shamrocks for you. Just let me know, and I'll leave some at the library for you.
The shamrocks will be attached to the board using pop dots. Decide where you want your shamrocks to go and place them accordingly.
To use a pop dot, peel the back off of one side of the dot and place the exposed, sticky side of the dot in the middle of a shamrock on its backside. Now peel the back off the other side of the dot and place the shamrock where you want it on the board. Press lightly in the center of the shamrock to make sure it’s securely attached. Attach all the shamrocks using this method.
Voila! All done. 😊 I have to say this is one of the quickest projects we’ve ever done in our Maker Magic program. But that’s OK, because some months I really challenge them with tougher projects. (Yes, snowy pine trees snow dome pillow that I shared in my December 17, 2020, blog post, I’m referring to you.) This LUCKY project is cute and fun and pretty easy, too. That’s a win all around.
Giving credit where it is due, I found this project on website called Ribbons & Glue, a DIY craft blog that shares unique projects and tutorials. Here's the link:
Enjoy all the emerging green outside. It’s so good to not have to put my boots on before I walk our dog. And I'm really looking forward to the sunshine and warmer weather on tap for this coming week.
Stay safe. Take care.
A sign of spring in my backyard, the sandhill cranes have returned from their winter migration. I've heard their loud squawk for a few days now, usually late at night, but this is the first I've actually seen them. Yay!