, , , St. Patrick's Day Craft for Kids Tissue-Paper

Lara Smith - is a freelance writer with a Bachelor of Arts in English, History and Religious Studies.

Hanging Tissue-Paper Rainbow - Lara Smith

This St. Patrick's Day craft for kids is a fun way to introduce children to the Irish lore of the lucky pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Little ones will love sharing in the magic of the holiday by making a colorful rainbow they can proudly display in their home.

Things you will need: Tissue paper (red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple)Cardboard (cereal box)Glue stickGreen pipe cleanerScissorsGold glitterBlack and yellow construction paperUnsharpened pencilHole puncherCotton balls

Steps for Making a Hanging Tissue-Paper Rainbow and Pot of Gold (Scroll to bottom for pictures and click to enlarge)

Draw or trace a rainbow shape, as large or small as you like, onto a piece of cardboard (cereal boxes are perfect) and cut it out.With a hole puncher, make a hole in the center of the rainbow's top.Make another hole in the middle of the rainbow's end for the pot of gold to hang from.Cut your tissue paper colors into strips about 1.5" wide. Wrinkled tissue paper works just as well for this craft, so if you have used tissue paper from gift bags, you can put it to good use.Have child cut the strips into squares approx. 1.5" x 1.5".Once all the colored strips are cut into squares, have child sort the squares by putting each color into its own bowl or container.Have child spread glue stick onto one end of the rainbow and press the cotton balls down to make clouds. They can pull them apart slightly for a more billowy look.Starting with the red squares, they can press their unsharpened pencil into the square's center and then twist/wrap the square around the pencil.Have them apply a small line of glue following the rainbow's arch. They should only apply a small section of glue at a time so it does not dry while they are applying the tissue paper.To apply the tissue paper, have them press the pencil with paper twisted around the end onto the glued section. Repeat doing a small section at a time until they have the first red line of the rainbow complete.Follow the above steps with each new color of the rainbow until the cardboard underneath is no longer visible.Draw or trace a small pot of gold shape onto some black construction paper and cut it out.Cut out a small piece of yellow paper to look like gold brimming over the pot's edge.Have child glue the yellow paper onto the back of the pot.With the hole puncher, make a hole in the center of the top of the gold pile.Have child spread some glue onto the yellow paper and sprinkle the gold glitter onto the glued section. Tap off excess glitter.Cut a tiny section of pipe cleaner and thread it through the hole at the end of the rainbow and the top of the gold. Twist ends together so the pot is hanging at the rainbow's end.Thread the remaining pipe cleaner through the hole at the rainbow's top and twist ends together for a hanging loop.For the finishing touch, trim the edges of the rainbow and tops of the tissue paper for a more uniform look.Hang and enjoy!

Creating a colorful rainbow and pot of gold is the perfect way to get children involved in the magic of St. Patrick's Day. From dabbing on the tissue paper and sprinkling on the gold, kids will love adding their personal touch to this St. Patrick's Day craft for kids.