Kids Pot Of Gold With Name St Patrick’s Day Craft

Generic rainbow crafts are cute, but what if your kid’s name became the actual treasure at the end of the rainbow? This pot of gold craft transforms basic supplies into a personalized keepsake that kids love to display because it features their name!

If there’s one thing (ok, two things) that I know young kids love, it’s rainbows and seeing their name…everywhere. That’s why this pot of gold with a name craft is the perfect St. Patrick’s Day craft idea!

Each letter of their name becomes a special nugget by itself in this fun activity. Your kids paint this easy pot of gold craft themselves, assemble it themselves, and see their identity reflected back in something they created with their own hands.

Pair this Saint Patrick’s Day activity with our leprechaun trap activity to lure that sneaky leprechaun in and catch him! It’s the perfect addition to your St. Patrick’s Day activities.

Why You’ll Love This Rainbow Pot of Gold Craft

• Minimal cleanup 
• Uses basic craft supplies you probably already have 
• Kids love it because their name is literally on a pot of gold
• The whole project takes under an hour
• Kids can work on color recognition and learning the rainbow shape
• It works for ages three and up with supervision
• This fun craft project is ideal for working on scissor skills
• It creates something they’ll want to hang up to display
• Helps develop important fine motor skills in little hands

Ready to turn a paper plate into pure magic?

What You’ll Need

Before you dive into painting and cutting this easy St. Patrick’s Day activity, make sure you’ve got everything lined up so the process flows smoothly.

• Paper plate (one standard size plate works perfectly)
• Construction paper – black, yellow, and any rainbow colors you want to add
• Craft paints – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black
• Scissors (adult supervision needed for younger kids)
• Glue – stick or white school glue
• Paintbrush
• Free printable template

How To Make A Pot Of Gold Craft With Your Child’s Name

This is where the magic happens, and preschool and elementary students become artists. Just follow these simple step-by-step instructions.

1. Download the free printable template and cut out the template shapes.
2. Trace and cut the pot and rainbow from the paper plate. Trace the template shapes on the paper plate and cut them out.
3. Paint the rainbow with rainbow colors and the pot black. Let your child paint thick stripes across the rainbow arch in traditional rainbow order or whatever color sequence makes them happy. Paint the pot piece solid black. Let both pieces dry completely before moving forward.
4. Cut out coins. While paint dries, cut small circles from yellow construction paper for coins. Each circle should be about one inch in diameter.
5. Draw and cut out each letter of their name on their favorite color construction paper.
6. Attach the coins to the pot. Glue the coins to the black pot as shown in the images. Some should peek out from the top rim, others can be glued lower like they’re spilling out. The random placement makes it look more like treasure.
7. Attach the name to the rainbow and the rainbow to the pot. Glue your child’s name spelled out in a banner format across the center of the rainbow arch using additional construction paper or writing it directly with marker. Finally, attach the rainbow piece to the top edge of the pot using glue, positioning it so the rainbow arches upward and the pot sits below like it’s catching the gold.

Pro Tips That Make This St Patrick’s Day Craft Look Amazing

Small tweaks separate decent crafts from ones that end up framed on the wall. Make sure this St. Patrick’s Day pot is display-worthy with these tips:

Optional items that make cleanup easier include a paint smock, wet wipes, and newspaper to cover your workspace. If you don’t have all six rainbow paint colors, three or four still create a stunning effect.

One substitution tip worth noting: If you don’t have a paper plate, cardboard from a cereal box works just as well. Trace a large circle, cut it out, and follow the exact same steps. The finished product looks identical and costs you nothing extra.

Use thick paint layers. Watered-down paint looks transparent and cheap. Thick, undiluted paint creates vibrant colors that photograph beautifully and last longer without fading. If your paint is too thin, let it sit open for five minutes to thicken slightly.

Write their name twice. Put their full name on the rainbow arch and then use individual letter coins in the pot. The double personalization drives home that this craft is entirely theirs.

Add glitter to wet paint for extra magic. If your kid loves sparkle, sprinkle glitter over the rainbow stripes while the paint is still wet. It sets into the paint as it dries and creates a shimmery effect without needing glitter glue.

Display your child’s project on the fridge, on the wall, on a door, or glue it to a piece of white construction paper and turn it into a placemat!

Pot Of Gold Craft Variations Worth Trying

Once you nail the basic version, these twists keep the craft fresh for siblings or repeat projects.

• Double rainbow design: Cut two rainbow arches instead of one and layer them slightly offset for a fuller, more dimensional look.
• Photo coins: Instead of letters, print tiny circular photos of your child and glue them to the coins. It becomes a personalized treasure in a completely different way.
• Shamrock accents: Add small green shamrocks cut from construction paper around the base of the pot or scattered on the rainbow for a St. Patrick’s Day version.
• Handprint rainbow: Skip the paint stripes and create the rainbow using handprints in different colors pressed side by side across the arch.
• Glow paint: Use glow-in-the-dark paint for the coins so they shine at night. Kids lose their minds over this version.
• Add colored pom pom to the rainbow.
• Sprinkle the gold coins or the rainbow (or both!) with gold glitter!

Every variation still centers the child’s identity in the craft while letting you customize for holidays, seasons, or just what supplies you have on hand that day.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even simple crafts have pitfalls that derail the fun if you’re not paying attention.

Cutting the rainbow too small. A wimpy little rainbow arch doesn’t balance visually with the pot. Make your rainbow big and bold, taking up most of the plate. It should feel like the dominant feature.

Using too much glue. Excess glue seeps out from under paper, wrinkles everything, and takes forever to dry. A thin layer around edges works better than globbing it in the center. Glue sticks give you more control than bottled glue for this project.

Skipping the drying time between steps. Kids want to rush through, but assembling wet pieces creates smeared paint and tears. Build in that 15-minute drying window and use it to prep the next step or clean brushes.

Writing letters too small on coins. Tiny letters disappear from any distance. Fill the whole coin with each letter so the name reads clearly when the craft is hung on a wall or door.

Download Your Free Printable Pot of Gold Template

Make this fun rainbow craft practically fail-proof with these free craft templates! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

More St. Patrick’s Day Crafts and Recipes To Try

If you love this pot of gold craft idea, check out these other ideas too!

• Kids Leprechaun Paper Plate Craft (Free Template)
• St. Patrick’s Day Candy Bark
• Homemade St. Patrick’s Day Cake Pops
• Rainbow Fork Painting Craft
• Free St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt Printable

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