A few things come to mind when March rolls around. There is March Madness (if you are a sports fan), Spring, and of course, St. Patrick's Day! Have you ever wondered why leprechauns were associated with St. Patrick's Day? Well, I did. Out of the blue, I did a little research and found out. Now, I will share with you what I learned. So leprechauns were very, very small, pint-sized men who worked as shoe and boot makers. Legend says that since they were so small and fast, they were hard to catch. If you were ‘Lucky’ enough to catch one, they would grant you three wishes if you let them go. Hence the pot of gold and such.
Then Walt Disney released a film based in Ireland, in 1959 called “Darby O’Gill and the Little People,” which was about an old Irish man and his experiences with magical leprechauns. This was about the same time that St. Patrick's Day parades became popular. Because of the timing of everything – this is how leprechauns became associated with the holiday. That concludes today's lesson. Let’s get started on making this cute little leprechaun boot!
Supplies:
- Cardstock Warehouse cardstock paper:
- Cut file: Creative Fabrica
- Adhesives
- Flat Back Pearls
- Gold Pearls Beads
I found this cute boot SVG file on Creative Fabrica. Sidenote: here is the link you can download this file for free when you sign up for a free trial! Try it out! I downloaded the file and cut the pieces as shown. I am using Fairway Stardream for the structure of the boot because the combination of shimmer and stability can't be beat! I wanted the bottom to be a different color so I chose to cut that out separately. The file is labeled with numbers so you can easily assemble and attach them together. The small black pieces, which will end up being the sole of my boot, were not included in the file. All I did was use my cutting knife on my silhouette program and sliced a little piece off the bottom of the boot and cut it out in black cardstock. You can use the "slice" feature on a Cricut to do the same thing.
I started with the edge pieces and folded all of the score lines. I then connected my pieces using Bearly Art Precision Glue. Since my cardstock has a shimmer to it, it will take a little bit more time for it to set, so make sure that you keep that in mind. Otherwise, you can use double-sided tape to do this as well.
Once you have assembled the pieces that make up the center of the boot, it’s time to add the front and back of the boot. Be careful with this part, although the pieces are numbered, you want to make sure you line everything up correctly. I did not cut out the numbers on the pieces. I copied the files separately and removed the numbers, but I kept the original so that I could compare and attach everything accurately. I also added the soul to the bottom of the boot. This is how your boot should look at this point.
Now it’s time to add the belt buckle. Be sure to secure the buckle so that it closes on the side. Or, if you’d like, you can close it on the front as well. I just like it better from the side. Once you have that done this is how it should look. You see the little gold tip? I think that is so adorable! Now if I’m being honest, this is where I was going to stop, minus the sentiment. Because I thought the boot was super cute as is. But it was just too plain for me, so I had to set it aside for a day so that I could think of what else I wanted to add. Enter Day 2.
I decided to add some cute little coordinating accessories that will go along with my leprechaun boot theme. I made clover, grass, and rainbow files. I found a top hat file to complete my look. I cut those all out in coordinating colors as shown. You can search your machine's software for similar images to adorn yours!
I cut out a bunch of the clovers and added them to the boots at various spots. No planning here. Then I added the grass all around the top of the boots.
Now it’s time to put together the top hat. This was very easy to assemble and I thought it was very cute. I just may do this on another project on a larger scale. I cut out some clovers in the same color as the boot and added them to the side of the top hat. I also added some gold beads around the top of the hat and secured it to the boot. I put the rainbow together and attached it to a piece of the hat and the other so that it could stay upright. To tie everything together and to highlight the clovers, I added some tiny gold pearls to the centers. I also added a strip of solid gold paper around the rim of the boot to separate the boot from the grass and more of those gold beads.
I cut out the words ‘LUCKY U’. I thought it would be a good idea to make the ‘U’ a horseshoe, isn’t that so clever? I added some dimensional foam tape to the back to create a little bit of a layer and added it to the boot with hot glue. I also added some larger flatback gold pearls to the buckle to simulate the buckle holes. And I’m done! I think this turned out super cute!
I’m so happy that I set it aside and had time to think about what I could add to make this my own. Sometimes, you have to put a project aside and give it a break for it to become what you want it to. Otherwise, it could turn out to be a huge mess. Don’t ask me how I know this, lol! This is a great addition to my craft room. And I definitely think if leprechauns were real and present today, that this boot would fit!
So, what do you think? Is this something you would make and use as decor, for your tablescape, or even place settings? I'd love to know! But before you go, don’t forget to tag us if you create this leprechaun boot, too!
As always, thanks for stopping by, I appreciate you! If you are super fancy, tag us in your creations on Facebook or Instagram. You can use the hashtag #cardstockwarehouse to be featured in our stories!
Looking for other 3D Paper Crafts? Find more inspiration HERE!