How to Make an Inexpensive Centerpiece of Paper Shamrocks

St. Patrick’s Day is just over a week away and this centerpiece made of paper shamrocks will liven up your dinner table for just about five bucks! The materials needed are either already in your home or easy to purchase for about $1 or less each from your favorite big box or discount store.

Materials:

• small terra cotta pot

• green construction paper

• floral wire

• floral tape

• scissors

• crayons in light colors

Making the Shamrocks

Step 1: Draw and cut out your shamrocks. You can draw your shamrocks freehand or find some clipart to use as a template that you can trace with your crayons. Our plant pot used about a dozen shamrocks, but you can make as many as you like! When you cut out your shamrocks, make sure you give them a tail about 1” long. (See photo #2.) Then, once they’re cut, use a light crayon—white or light green, for example—to draw some veins on your leaves to make them more lifelike.

Step 2: Wire your shamrocks. Crease the shamrocks down the center like you would see in nature. Then attach a floral wire to each one. Floral tape can be tricky to use with the smooth floral wire, so we ended up using a bit of transparent tape to hold the shamrock tails to the wire before we wrapped them with the floral tape.

Step 3: Prep your pot for “planting.” After all of your shamrocks are wired, use some transparent tape to create a grid on the opening of your pot. This will help you arrange your shamrocks in a way that will keep them upright and make your pot look full. (See photo #3.)

Step 4: Plant your shamrocks. Bend your floral wire to a length that’s appropriate for your pot. Add them to your pot one by one, arranging them however you like as you go. Once all of your shamrocks are in the pot, your centerpiece is complete!

After you’ve gotten the hang of using floral wire to make your paper shamrocks, you may find yourself looking for more places to “plant” them! They make a simple but vibrant addition to everything from teacups to tall vases. Let your creativity be your guide!