Shamrock Shirts & Leprachaun Traps

I had nearly forgotten the fact that St. Patrick's Day is this weekend when A came home from preschool today buzzing with excitement about leprechauns.
Supposedly they sneaked into her classroom during recess and messed up the kids' toys and left them candy. She was so taken with the idea, that I caught her excitement and whipped up this t-shirt for E to wear to school tomorrow.

Appliques are a ridiculously simple way to jazz up a $3 walmart t-shirt. I used fabric from the curtains that hung in E's nursery (and which my husband accidentally poured bleach over). Tracing a clipart shamrock I found online, I cut out the shamrock shape from the fabric, stitch-witched it onto the shirt, sewed around the edges, and added the bow.

I would have loved to embroider the word "lucky" onto the shirt, but I don't know how to embroider. I used a pen.

It was another gorgeous day here today, so I sent the girls outside after school and suggested they build "leprechaun traps." A's interest lasted about 3.5 seconds, but E worked on this beauty for a good hour.

Gold spray-painted pennies will lure the leprechaun into a bed of comfy camellia blossoms. When he's fast asleep we'll pull out the stick and trap the magical creature! I wonder what we'll wish for?

Maybe for some interesting St. Patrick's Day books? I'm afraid I've never found one I really like. But the girls did enjoy some outdoor reading time together.

And some giggle time, too!