An Extremely Satisfying String Pennant Project to Display Ireland’s National Symbols in Your Home or Classroom

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I know the first question you are going to ask.

Why are you using “extremely satisfying” and “string pennant” in the same sentence?

I’ll tell you why…at least why this is the case for me.

I LOVE TRACING THINGS! DO YOU?

When I was little my mom bought me books of tracing paper. I would carefully tear a page from the book and lay it on top of one of my favorite pictures from any of my favorite books.

I would sharpen the heck out of my No. 2 pencil and then I would sit and trace the pictures so diligently, gently lifting the page without shifting the page, to look underneath if I felt I was off track.

I did this for hours.

And ya know what? It was sooo satisfying. Meditative really.

St. Patrick's Day craft for kids is making a pennant with Irish Symbols

TRACING PROJECTS TRANSFORM ANY MOOD TO ONE OF CALM AND FOCUS

At times it would consume me so much so that I tuned the world out altogether, missing my mom’s multitude of calls to come to dinner, help out in the kitchen, or get ready for bed.

The best part came when all the tracing was complete and I could lift the whole page off the book for the first time.

It felt like such an accomplishment as if I were the original artist of each picture I traced.

A St. Patrick's Day craft for kids string pennant Irish symbols

ADDING COLOR TO A TRACING PROJECT GENERATES EXCITEMENT!

I would gather my markers (the fat ones that smelled of grape, cherry, licorice…you know the ones) and add color to my masterpiece, little by little.

I hung my favorites in a little nook underneath our staircase as well as on the wall above my bed. My not-so-favorites I kept in a folder and would tinker at improving them with additional color so as to make them hang-worthy.

HERE ARE THE BENEFITS OF TRACING…

Just for fun, I Googled “What are the benefits of tracing?” and look what came up:

“Tracing can help children develop fine motor skills, which can aid them with other tasks, such as learning to write. It also helps students with developmental disabilities to develop math and language skills. Other benefits of tracing include improvement in hand/eye coordination, dexterity, and spatial awareness.”

BAM. Good for all learners no matter what.

LET’S GET STARTED WITH THIS TRACING PROJECT!

Here is how to make An Extremely Satisfying String Pennant Project to Display Ireland’s National Symbols in Your Home or Classroom:

SUPPLIES:

Ireland String Pennant Template
Scissors
100% white, cotton fabric (ask the experts at the fabric store what they recommend)
Blue gel glue
Acrylic paint (your colors of choice)
Paintbrushes
Glue gun/sticks
Rope/Ribbon for hanging your pennants on

DIRECTIONS:

1. If you choose to, print out our FREE Ireland String Pennant Template. This template provides you with the pennant shape as well as a harp, Claddagh ring, shamrock, and flag template to trace.

2. Use a pencil to lightly trace the pennant shape (for as many pennants as you want to make) on 100% cotton white fabric.

3. Cut out each fabric pennant.

A St. Patrick's Day craft for kids or an Ireland Craft for kids

4. Lay a fabric pennant over an Ireland symbol and using blue gel glue, trace each symbol in glue.

TIP: Be sure to adjust the nozzle and flow of glue prior to starting. Do so by twisting the orange lid of the nozzle and squeezing out glue on a scrap piece of fabric or paper. We have made our Irish symbol templates bold to ensure easier tracing, but you do not have to make your lines as thick as the ones in the template.

Let the glue dry overnight, or longer depending on how thick your glue lines are.

Irish String Pennant for St. Patrick's Day craft for kids

5. Once dry, it is time to paint and add color! Use acrylic paint (believe me, acrylic paint makes for the brightest colors in the end) to paint your pennant to your liking. There is no right or wrong so let your children have fun by giving them free rein with this part of the project. Every pennant will turn out colorful and festive!

TIP: Be sure to paint right up and even a bit onto the glue lines to ensure crisp edges.

Let the paint dry overnight, or longer depending on the thickness of your paint.

An-Extremely-Satisfying-String-Pennant-Project-to-Display-Ireland’s-National-Symbols-in-Your-Home-or-Classroom

6. When the paint is dry, soak your pennants in very warm (closer to hot) water for at least 30 minutes.

7. Take a sponge and lightly wipe along the glue lines (underwater if you can). Have children feel for the sliminess of the glue underwater and if necessary, use their fingernail to lightly scrape away the thick parts of the glue. Try your hardest to remove all the glue but don’t stress if this does not happen!

8. Lay out the wet pennants on a dry towel or wire rack. I like the wire rack because they tend to dry faster this way and I am always eager to move on to the next step!

Painting an Irish Pennant for a St. Patrick's Day Craft for kids

9. At this point, it is time to add your pennants to a rope or string. I chose a thick, jute rope because it felt very Ireland-y to me, but this is up to you. I bought this rope at Michaels.

10. Using a glue gun, adhere each pennant to the rope. The amount of space in between is up to you. You may want to decide where you are going to hang your pennant, buy a rope that works for that length and then space your pennants accordingly.

11. Hang your rope and enjoy the beauty of Ireland in your home or classroom! Be sure to store your Ireland String Pennant to use as an Ireland or St. Patrick’s Day decoration for years to come! It is quite a beautiful keepsake.