St. Patrick's Day Party Ideas: Printables, Favors, Food, Decorations, and More

One of the most classic ways to celebrate St. Patrick's Day is with a party. Whether you are having a work party, a small together with friends, a family gathering, or a huge event, there are so many great St. Patrick's Day party ideas out there. With everything from decorations to green drinks, once you get started, you won't be able to stop adding little details for your party. This is by no means a comprehensive guide to all things St. Patrick's Day related, but it is a great round up of party ideas to get you started. Happy celebrating!

Paper Shamrock Banner: I'm a sucker for things that involve words and buttons. Hopefully other people reading this are, too. If not, you can customize this idea with other details that suit your own preferences. This tutorial includes a shamrock template link and size suggestions. If you do choose to use words and don't have a book you want to cut up, pick one up from a thrift store.

Yarn wreath: A yarn wreath is one of the simplest wreaths you can put together, and the result is still very satisfying. I've shown a St. Patrick's Day wreath on the right and linked a tutorial for a different yarn wreath below, as the link on the right is for a product listing. There are so many fun embellishments you can add for St. Patrick's Day: clovers, rainbows, gold, leprechauns, etc.

Felt shamrocks: There is no tutorial here, but the picture is pretty self-explanatory. Once you have a bunch of these felt shamrocks finished, you can create a variety of garlands or hanging decorations with them. If you don't want to hang them, you can use them as small decorations on tables or bookshelves or on the mantel.

Rag wreath: If you enjoy keeping a wreath on your front door all year round, this is a great option for March. I chose to include this link because of the perfect set of colors for St. Patrick's Day. However, this link does not include directions for making a rag wreath. Check this out for all of the basics. Once you get hooked, you'll be making these for every holiday. They make wonderful gifts, too.

"I'm Lucky to Have You" Rolo Baskets: Small favors are a great way to win guests over at any type of party. St. Patrick's Day is no exception. This great post has lots of printable options, including different variations for friends and teachers. It also includes the other instructions that you will need for assembling these little baskets.

Mason Jar with Goodies: There is no tutorial here, but the concept is pretty self-explanatory. Mason jars are easy to acquire and relatively inexpensive. If you're lucky, you may be able to pick some up at a thrift store. I love the little St. Patrick's Day card in the front. In addition to candy, think about other little gifts to include such as pens and other stationery/ office items.

"I'm Lucky to Have You" Rolo Variation: Rachel used the printable above from The Crafting Chicks with dollar store gift boxes to create her own variation of this idea. She created her boxes as a teacher gift, but as always, you can customize them any way you like. The combination of the decorated box, ribbon detail, and printed tag create a very professional finished product.

Shamrock cookies: There are a number of shamrock cookie cutters available online. During March, you may be able to find them in the holiday or kitchen sections of dollar or big box stores as well. Decorating cookies is always a great kid-friendly holiday activity. Let them assist with rolling and cutting cookies and then let them go crazy decorating afterward with different colored frosting and toppings such as sprinkles. The first link below has decorating ideas. The second link has a great sugar cookie recipe.

Lucky Charms cupcakes: Who doesn't have some sort of nostalgia about Lucky Charms? Bake a batch of your favorite cupcakes, frost with homemade or store bought frosting, and add some Lucky Charms cereal to the top. The simple cereal addition is sure to get comments from your guests.

Green Layer Cake: What would St. Patrick's Day be without a little (or a lot of) green food coloring? This baker went a little nuts with seven different green layers, each of which she mixed and baked separately before stacking and icing. Even she admits that this is a little crazy! if you're actually planning to throw a party and you have a few other things to do besides bake a cake (cleaning and decorating maybe?), go for 2-3 layers that don't necessarily have to be different shades of green.

Green smoothie: Green smoothies are very popular right now. This is just one of many recipes available online. Typically a green smoothie consists of spinach, frozen fruit, and juice. You can customize them just about any way that you like to suit your tastes. They are healthy, easy, and a perfect color for St. Patrick's Day.

Green punch: This recipe is pitched as a Halloween idea, but there's no reason that it doesn't work perfectly for St. Patrick's Day, too. Green is not the most appetizing drink color, even for a punch, but hopefully the delicious flavor will distract from the color.

Irish Mojito: The addition of the Irish whiskey to this mojito recipe makes it just Irish enough (like you needed an excuse to make this, right?). This is another drink with a perfect color for St. Patrick's Day. Don't put this recipe away after the holiday. The refreshing mint, citrus, and kiwi will carry this drink right through to summer.

St. Patrick's Day t-shirts: Put together some shirts for you and your family with Silhouette Studio software and heat transfers. This link has everything you need to make your shirts using Silhouette, but if you can take this concept and create your own shirts with other types of software and transfers. Check out this tutorial for other options. Make sure that your designs aren't too large so they can easily fit on shirts of varying sizes.

Pulling an outfit together: Whether you're going casual or dressing up for your party, there are lots of great green options out there. If you love green, go all out with a bright green dress. If you just want a little touch of green, go for an accessory instead like a green bracelet or purse.

Nails: A manicure is a fun way to celebrate any occasion. Even when you are selecting fun colors like green that you may not wear as often as standard colors (red, pink, etc.) and neutrals (champagne, cream, etc.), take the time to buy quality brands. A high-quality polish will ensure a lasting look for the entire day.