Home St. Patrick’s Day Everything You Need to Trap a Leprechaun This St. Patrick’s Day by Amber GuetebierMarch 15, 2022 Shutterstock Search more like this how tost patrick's daytea partyleprechauntea partiesgoldrainbowpencilcardboardpillowcasefoodshamrockdanceluggage Advertisement Trending Now Celeb & Entertainment Melanie Lynskey Talks about Being Body-Shamed in Hollywood & ‘Starving Herself’ Viral & Trending Viral TikTok Explains Why You Don’t Owe Toxic Parents a Relationship with Your Kids Celeb & Entertainment ‘Bluey’ Season 3 is Coming to Disney+ This Week! Viral & Trending Dad Gets Shamed for Using a Leash with 5-Year-Old Quintuplets News Chrissy Teigen Announces She’s Pregnant Almost 2 Years after Losing Jack Advertisement With St. Patrick’s Day comes plenty of green, but what if you’d rather have gold? You’ll need to trap a leprechaun to find out where the elusive pot o’ gold is hiding (hint: it’s not at the end of the rainbow). Read on for the how-to on capturing a creature on your own. Or at least trying. You will need:A cardboard box or shoeboxA stick (or pencil in a pinch) A pillowcaseFood (see below) Optional: bling The Gracious Wife Step One: Make the Bait Leprechauns, in spite of the rumors, do not subsist on pints of Guinness and shamrock-shaped cookies alone. They like a variety of foods but most of all they like a rainbow of flavors. Try making one of these dishes. Bonus: you get to keep the leftovers. This can be the most time-consuming step. If you are in a hurry, just grab a pack of Skittles and move on to step two. Amber Guetebier Step Two: Make the Trap The leprechaun is usually just under a foot high, although size varies depending on age (they shrink as they get older) and origin.* So the best method here is a simple box trap. Get a smallish box, like a shoebox. A plain box works fine but if you want to increase your odds of getting a leprechaun, paint the box green, a color most pleasing to them. Decorate it with anything that gives it that special glitz: glitter, coins, gemstones, or just an artistic use of the brush. Find a stick or pencil to prop the box up. You can even use a piece of cardboard, cleverly disguised as a friendly sign.Now, place the “bait” on a plate underneath the lid. No string is needed. Once the leprechaun takes his first bite of your delicious food, he’ll dance with joy. This dance almost always leads to kicking the stick over. Voila. He is trapped.Hint: Don’t bother waiting up for the leprechaun. They never show under a watchful eye. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Becky | Educator | M.Ed. (@teachingwithninjanuity) Step Three: Get the Gold Wait at least three hours before checking your trap, but if you can, wait a full night. (Parents, you can leave a small note or coin in place of the treat from the escaped wee man). If your trap is empty, better luck next year. If, however, you caught your leprechaun, you’ll need to transfer it from the trap into your home. Use a soft pillowcase, and scoop up the entire box including (hopefully) the leprechaun. Remember, your goal here is to get him to reveal the location of his gold, not bring harm to him. Be firm but kind, be persistent. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jazzy | DIY + Crafter (@jazzysdesign) Further Tips: Once you have him inside, lock your doors and close your windows. Leprechauns are master escape artists.Be ready to barter. They are very clever and can trick you out of just about anything, but you will need to offer something in exchange for the gold (i.e., his freedom). Do not believe him when he tells you it’s “at the end of the rainbow.” They like silky fabrics, velvet and shiny things.Be sure you have enough food: They can eat an incredible amount of food, so be ready to lay out a feast or at the very least, a decent tea party.If you can get them to tell you where the gold is, you truly have the luck of the Irish!*While it was once true that a leprechaun could only be found in Ireland, there are generations of leprechauns that have naturalized in the woods, parks and gardens across America. Rumors of how leprechauns came to the U.S. include stowing away in luggage, sliding across rainbows (totally unfounded) and the most plausible: paid passage. They are, after all, in possession of copious amounts of gold. Editor’s note: No leprechauns were harmed in the making of this article. RELATED STORIES8 St. Patrick’s Day Science Experiments for Kids20 Easy St. Patrick’s Day Crafts That Kids Will LoveHelp A Leprechaun! 8 Colorful Rainbow Projects 60+ Classic Science Experiments for KidsFeatured image: iStock Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Copy (Opens in new window) Search more like this how tost patrick's daytea partyleprechauntea partiesgoldrainbowpencilcardboardpillowcasefoodshamrockdanceluggage Welcome to our Tinybeans family! Be sure to check your email for new activities, recipes and parenting hacks – and to see if you’ve won! Do you have a dog or cat? Select YES below and click submit to start receiving FREE pet ideas and inspiration, news about new pet products, exclusive offers and limited-time promotions. Yes, I have a pet! Submit GET READY FOR SUMMER! 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