They're Always After Me Lucky Charms
Leprechaun Trap Ideas & Tips To Catch The Wee Lad
Gold glitter goes a long way, friends.
Building a leprechaun trap is a childhood rite of passage — and clearly a fun way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Whether your child needs to build one for a school project or you guys are hoping to catch a wee little leprechaun in your own home (and demand he share his gold coins), there are plenty of leprechaun trap ideas to help you build the best leprechaun trap ever.
The really fun part about building a leprechaun trap is that there is some fun leprechaun folklore to follow and put into your plans. Haven’t you ever heard that leprechauns don’t like to follow the rules? Or that they really love gold and rainbows and will basically let themselves get baited, hoping they can get a bunch of goodies? Use those tips and some of these other leprechaun trap ideas to catch the bearded, green-suited little lad. In most cases, all you need is a shoebox or some other kind of container, and construction paper, gold paint, and glitter always work well to build out the rest of the accessories. Even a piece of cardboard painted to look like gold coins is a nice, budget-friendly way to catch your leprechaun. (And, in a pinch, some Lucky Charms will always work.)
1Make up a bunch of “rules.”
It’s a well known fact that leprechauns will disobey any sign or rule you give them, so a major trick to baiting leprechauns into your trap is to decorate a bunch of signs telling them to stay out or get away from whatever it is you’ve set out — rainbows, gold, lucky charms. The more insistent your signs are, the better.
2Bait them with rainbows and gold coins.
No matter what kind of trap you construct, make sure to bait your leprechauns with things they love, like gold and rainbows. Set them next to a hole so they fall into a box, or use them to lead leprechauns into your trap that can close on them. No matter how you trap the wee little guys, you need something to entice them.
3Go simple with your traps.
You can go really simple with your traps, too, like this one featuring a green glitter hat. Just set some gold underneath and tie a long string to a pencil to hold up the hat so that once your leprechaun has gone underneath to grab the gold, you can pull the string and close him up tight.
4A box is the perfect trap.
A tiny gift box, a big shoe box, whatever kind of box you have, this is the perfect leprechaun trap. Just cut a hole in the top so the leprechaun falls straight inside. Don’t forget the bait.
5Use a toilet paper roll as a chute.
Lots of leprechaun traps are created in boxes with big holes for the leprechauns to fall into, but what if they can climb? Make sure they can’t get out of your trap with this idea, which uses a toilet paper or paper towel roll to trick the leprechaun into climbing up for the gold and then falling into a narrow cylinder rather than a big box.
6Build a ladder.
Whether you use a box or a cylinder of some kind, if you want to trap your leprechaun in something they fall into, you’re going to need a ladder. There are tons of ways to make ladders, like using popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, or straws. Just remember, a little sign that says Please Don’t Climb is the perfect way to entice your leprechaun to break the rules and climb it anyway — and then fall right into your trap.
7Get simple with a shoe box and a dowel.
Like the trap featuring a hat, this one is also super simple, but can really keep your leprechaun from escaping. Using a dowel with a pot of gold attached, prop open the actual box part of a shoe box inside a lid so that when the leprechaun tries to snatch the pot, the dowel gives away and he’s trapped in an upside down box. The box will be too heavy to push off of him, and he won’t be able to wiggle out of the smaller lid.
Good luck catching your leprechaun! And be sure to hold on tight to those extra gold coins.
