Show off your St. Patrick’s Day spirit with a shamrock banner. Make this easy paper flag banner using construction paper and the printable shamrock pattern in this craft. Hang the banner in a doorway, over the mantel, or in the window—anywhere you want to show your Irish green!
This project is great for family, classroom or group craft time. It uses simple materials, and with a little preparation by the adults or teen leaders, this project is fast and fun.
Related crafts: Checkout St. Patrick's Day crafting for more shamrock crafts and downloads.
Determine the size and number of flags in your banner and pre-cut the paper blanks. The flags can be made in four different sizes: 2" by 4", 3" by 6", 4" by 8" and 6" by 12". Decide which size will work best for your banner keeping in mind that a banner can have from 3 to 12 flags, depending on the size of the flags.
From a 9" by 12" sheet of white construction paper, cut twelve 2" by 4" rectangles, six 3" by 6" or three 4" by 8" rectangles for the flag blanks. For 6" by 12" flags, cut three rectangles from a 12" by 18" sheet of white construction paper.
Cut square blanks for the shamrocks from the green construction paper. Cut squares sized to the smaller dimension of the flag blanks—2", 3", 4" or 6". For best results, the blanks need to have straight sides and square corners. The sizes can vary a bit.
Print the shamrock template pattern on white cardstock. Select the half-shamrock template that fits your flag size and cut it out. These shamrock templates are placed along a folded edge and traced.
Tip: If you prefer, use the full-size green templates on unfolded paper. These templates can also be used to size the shamrock square blanks.
Patterns are Adobe PDF files. The Adobe Reader is available for free.
All of Aunt Annie's project patterns are designed to be printed on standard letter-size paper (8.5"x11" or A4). When printing from Adobe Reader, you may need to select Auto-Rotate and Center or Choose paper source by PDF page size to ensure the best fit.
The flag banners can have from 3 flags to 12 flags. For each flag, fold a flag blank in half lengthwise. Cut on a diagonal from one corner toward the fold. Punch two holes next to each other on the opposite end and away from the fold. Open the flags and smooth the paper flat.
Cut a shamrock for each flag (or two if both sides of the banner will be seen.) For each shamrock, fold the green square blank in half, place the shamrock template along the folded edge, trace, and cut out. Open the shamrocks and smooth them flat.
Tip: Keep the shamrock cutaways and use them to make St. Patrick's Day cards like those in the Easy Valentine Cards craft project.
Glue a shamrock on each flag or two shamrocks—one on each side. Glue them horizontally or vertically, depending on how the flag banner will be displayed.
Cut a length of yarn long enough for the number of flags and where it will be hung — usually 4 to 6 feet (1 to 2 meters.) Weave the yarn through the punched holes on the flags (children may need help here). A blunt yarn needle can make the job go faster.
Hang the banner using tape, tacks or whatever is appropriate for the place/surface being decorated with the banner.
That's it! Now hang your banner!
Tip: Make the banner any length you desire with flags ranging from small to large. For longer lengths, join two or more banners together.
Tip: For more holiday banner fun, see the Valentine Flag Banner craft project.
