This marbled shaving cream shamrock St. Patrick’s Day craft is an activity your kids will love. Here you will find a video tutorial and step-by-step instructions. I am also providing a free printable of an outline of a shamrock (see materials list below).
I originally introduced my kids to marbled shaving cream paper crafts in 2012, when they were much smaller. We have also made marbled shaving cream hearts for Valentine’s Day. I don’t know why making four-leaf clovers for St. Patrick’s Day took me so long. As a mom blogger who has been doing this now for over 10 years, it is coming full circle. I actually hired my teenager to make the video for me. How times have changed! I can say that she was really excited to do this nostalgic activity.
Marbled Shaving Cream Shamrock St. Patrick’s Day Craft
This is a great St. Patrick’s Day craft for preschoolers and older kids (click the link to find more preschool crafts). Like I said, even my teenager enjoyed this activity.
This DIY marbled shamrock craft is pretty simple to do. Younger kids will need help cutting out the shamrock. Other than that, with a few inexpensive materials, you also will be able to recreate this beautiful craft.
Who doesn’t love getting messy and creative with shaving cream? OK – Maybe not moms who do have a lot of cleaning up to do throughout the day, but this one only took us about 5 minutes to clean up and 5 minutes to prep, but the fun is worth it.
Materials Needed to Make Marbled Shaving Cream Shamrocks
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- Free Shamrock Printable
- Heavy White Stock Paper
- Muffin Tins or Small Cups
- Food Coloring in Different Greens Like Kelly Green, Neon Green, Teal Green, Dark Green, and Moss Green – Not all of these are necessary, but you do want a little variety.
- Q-Tips
- Shaving Cream – You can just buy this at Dollar Tree.
- Scissors
- Food Scraper or Spatula
- Medicine Dropper
- Paper Towels
- A platter, Plate, or Jelly Roll Pan Larger than the Cut-out Shamrock
How to Make Marbled Paper St. Patrick’s Day Four Leaf Clovers Using Shaving Cream
- Print out the free shamrock outline provided.
- Cut the four-leaf clover, leaving the black rim. Older kids will be able to do this themselves. Younger kids will need your help or need you to prep this part for them.
- Prepare the food coloring. I like to use a muffin tin for the different shades of green. You can also use individual cups. To create the different greens, add different amounts of water to the food coloring. If you have liquid colors, you could do some of that without being diluted. Adding different amounts of water makes the different shades of green darker or lighter. You could also add yellow to the mix.
- Spread the shaving cream across the platter in a smooth fashion.
- Take different shades of green, and drop them on the shaving cream in different spots on the cream, leaving some white in between the color.
- Use a Q-tip, the back of a paintbrush, or the tip of a butter knife to swirl around the color. Don’t over-swirl or the colors will all blend into one.
- Press the cut-out shamrock onto the shaving cream.
- Pull the shamrock off the shaving cream and place, the shaving cream side up, on a paper towel on top of a cookie sheet. Using a scraper of some sort or paper towel, gently scrape the shaving cream off the shamrock.
- Allow to dry.
You can hang these beautiful shamrocks on a window or a wall. I can imagine a school classroom hanging these from the ceiling or proudly displaying them on the ceiling tiles.
Because you have used a large platter or plate, clean-up is simple. Just rinse off the shaving cream and clean up your food coloring. If you mixed the greens in disposable cups, a quick dump down the drain and a garbage can is all you need to tidy up again.
Video Tutorial to Show to Make Marbled Shaving Cream Shamrocks
You may want to teach your kids a little about St. Patrick’s Day as you do your crafts and activities with them. I’ll answer some questions people have about St. Patrick’s Day in a simple way.
Why do People Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?
We celebrate St. Patrick’s Day to honor St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, who brought Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century and played a significant role in Irish culture and history. The day has evolved into a celebration of Irish culture and heritage worldwide.
Why are Shamrock’s Associated with St. Patrick’s Day?
Shamrocks are associated with St. Patrick’s Day because St. Patrick is said to have used the three-leafed plant to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) to the Irish people during his mission to convert them to Christianity in the 5th century. As a result, the shamrock became a symbol of both Saint Patrick and Irish identity.
Who is Saint Patrick?
St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland who is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century. He was believed to have been kidnapped by pirates from Ireland when he was 16.
He then returned to Ireland as a missionary, following what he believed was a divine call to convert the pagan Irish to Christianity.
St. Patrick is often associated with various legends, including driving snakes out of Ireland, though it’s widely believed that Ireland never had snakes to begin with. Instead, the story is interpreted as a metaphor for Patrick driving out pagan beliefs.
Why is the Leprechaun Associated with St. Patrick’s Day?
The leprechaun is a symbol of St. Patrick’s Day because it’s a figure from Irish folklore. Leprechauns are often depicted as mischievous little beings who hoard gold and are associated with luck. Over time, they became linked to the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, adding a playful and magical element to the festivities.
Why are Rainbows Associated with St. Patrick’s Day?
Rainbows are associated with St. Patrick’s Day because St. Patrick echoed the story of Noah and the ark as he explained how the rainbow was a symbol of God’s promise and hope.
In Irish folklore, it’s believed that leprechauns hide their pots of gold at the end of rainbows. So, rainbows are often linked to luck and magic, which are themes commonly associated with St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. As a result, rainbows have become a whimsical and colorful symbol of the holiday, but it also has Christian roots.