Learn how to make recycled shamrock and four-leaf clover crafts with these easy toilet paper roll crafts.
Toilet paper roll shamrocks and four-leaf clover crafts are fun to make for Saint Patrick’s Day. Learn how to make these easy toilet paper tube Saint Patrick’s Day crafts at home or in the classroom with the easy step-by-step instructions, complete with a video tutorial below. You might also enjoy learning about the differences between a shamrock and a clover–find the answer along with a great list of Saint Patrick’s Day Crafts!
Toilet Paper Roll Shamrocks and Clover Craft Supplies
- Recycled toilet paper rolls or tubes
- Flat wash paintbrush
- Green Acrylic paint (tempera paint does not cover the toilet paper roll well enough–the cardboard shows through too much)
- Scissors
- Glue gun with glue sticks a glue pen or glue dots
Related: Rainbow Shamrock Salt Painting Idea
Toilet Paper Roll Shamrocks and Four-Leaf Clover Crafts Step-by-Step Instructions
Use these simple instructions to make Saint Patrick’s Day toilet paper roll crafts with toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, elementary-aged grade school students, tweens, and teens. Even adults will enjoy making these easy toilet paper tube shamrocks!
Recycled toilet paper roll crafts are fun to make at home or in the classroom for Saint Patrick’s Day. Learn how to make toilet paper roll shamrocks and four-leaf clover crafts with the step-by-step tutorial below. You might also enjoy using them to make Shamrock and Lucky Clover Necklaces–don’t get caught without your green on Saint Patrick’s Day!
We recommend reading through the instructions before making recycled cardboard tube shamrocks and four-leaf clover crafts. Have a look at the toilet paper tube craft video tutorial to see each step of this easy Saint Patrick’s Day craft idea in action.
Related: Four Leaf Clover Handprint Craft
1. Gather toilet paper rolls (tubes) from the recycle bin or recycled craft supply stash.
- First, collect a few toilet paper tubes from the recycle bin, or your recycled craft supplies. (We put ours in a large paper bag and use them to create recycled paper roll crafts of all kinds!)
- Next, follow the steps below to make Saint Patrick’s Day toilet paper tube crafts.
2. Paint the outside of the recycled cardboard tube green.
- Use a flat-wash paintbrush to paint the outside of each toilet paper roll with green acrylic paint.
- While tempura paint can also be used, it does not work as well as acrylic paint does. It can take several coats of tempura paint to make the toilet paper roll look green, while acrylic usually needs only one coat.
- Allow the paint time to dry before moving on to the next step in this recycled shamrock craft.
3. Cut each toilet paper tube into strips of recycled cardboard circles.
- When the paint is completely dry, use a pair of scissors to cut the toilet paper tube into strips as shown in the video tutorial.
Related: Best Spring Activities for Kids
4. Mold each recycled toilet paper roll circle strip into the shape of a heart.
- When you cut the painted toilet paper roll into strips, you will notice that the cardboard tube bends in two places.
- Shape each recycled cardboard tube circle into the shape of a heart–so it looks like a cloverleaf, by pressing into the circle of one of the slightly bent sides of the cardboard tube and squeezing the other bent side towards each other with two fingers. (Play the video shamrock craft tutorial if this step seems confusing.)
- Fortunately, acrylic paint also helps the bent cardboard tube retain its heart shape a lot better than an unpainted toilet paper roll. Go ahead and test it for yourself!
5. Glue recycled cardboard tube hearts together to make toilet paper roll shamrocks or lucky four-leaf clovers.
- Use a glue gun and glue sticks, a glue pen, or glue dots to attach the cardboard tube hearts together. (Because glue guns can be dangerous, glue pens and glue dots are a great alternative to hot glue for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners.)
- Toilet paper roll shamrocks need three paper roll hearts to create the three-lobed leaves of a shamrock, while each recycled cardboard lucky clover will need four cardboard tube hearts.
- Make stems for your toilet paper tube shamrock by cutting a cardboard tube circle into 2 equal parts to make 2 stems. (This step is shown in the toilet paper shamrock video tutorial below.)
- Next, have a look at the video to see how to glue the recycled cardboard hearts together to create shamrocks and lucky clovers, or, follow the how-to steps listed below.
How to Make Toilet Paper Roll Shamrocks:
- Each toilet paper roll shamrock requires a total of three heart-shaped toilet paper roll pieces.
- Use a glue gun and glue sticks, a glue pen, or glue dots to attach three of the heart-shaped cardboard tubes together.
- Glue a stem to the inside of one of the bottom two heart-shaped lobes of each shamrock craft as shown in the photo of the shamrock craft above.
How to Make Toilet Paper Roll Four-Leaf Clovers:
- You will need a total of four heart-shaped toilet paper tube pieces for each toilet paper roll Saint Patrick’s Day craft.
- Glue the cardboard pieces together with a glue gun and glue sticks, a glue pen, or glue dots so the four heart-shaped cardboard tube pieces all touch in the center of the clover craft.
- Finally, glue a stem to the inside of one of the bottom two heart-shaped lobes of each four-leaf clover craft as shown in the photo below.
Related: Shamrock Handprint Craft with Poem
Toilet Paper Roll Shamrock and Clover Crafts Video Tutorial
Recycled Cardboard Tube Shamrock and Clover Crafts
Next, learn how to turn your recycled shamrock and clover crafts into Shamrock and Lucky Clover Necklace Crafts! You won’t get pinched without your green with these quick and easy Saint Patrick’s Day necklaces!
More Toilet Paper Roll Crafts and Green Living Ideas for Kids
- Toilet Paper Roll Birdhouses
- Caring for the Earth: 12 Ways to Help Kids Live a More Sustainable Life
- Encouraging Kindness to Nature
More Saint Patrick’s Day Arts and Crafts
- Rainbow Shamrock Salt Painting
- Best Shamrock and Clover Arts and Crafts for Kids
- Handprint Shamrock Craft with Printable Poem
- Best Sensory Bottles for Every Holiday and Season
- Four Leaf Clover Handprint Craft with Poem
- Rainbow Rainy Day Art Kids STEAM
- Saint Patrick’s Day Salt Paint Shamrock Art Project
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