No matter your paper craft of choice, this 3D paper shamrock embellishment is perfect for all kinds of St. Patrick’s Day projects.  I used mine to decorate the front of a greeting card, but you could also use it in a scrapbook layout, or assemble it on a green background and use an Xacto knife to cut it out and attach it to anything you can think of!

Project estimate:

  • Green paper, on hand
  • Scissors, on hand
  • Glue, on hand
  • Gemstones, on hand or $1

Total:  Free and up


Start by folding a piece of green paper in half and cutting eight identical heart shapes.  Crease them well along the folded edge and leave them folded in half.

Glue two of the hearts to a sheet of paper with the folded edges together.

Glue another pair of hearts down adjacent to the first pair.

Continue adding hearts until all eight are glued into place; cut a piece of paper for the stem and glue it into place.

Glue a gemstone to the center of the shamrock to add a little bling.

If you want to make sure your shamrock retains its 3D effect, you can place a small piece of foam adhesive or other dimensional adhesive inside each folded heart.  If you plan to mail a card made with this design, either omit the gemstone or send the card in a padded envelope to ensure it arrives intact!