St Patrick's Day Celebration Ideas, Costumes and Decorations

St Patrick's Day is always a great excuse for a party! It's a fresh new year and we're leaving our troubles behind, and what better way to celebrate than to host a colourful St Patrick's Day party at home with your family and friends? Whether you are celebrating a home, school, work or other social group, make this St Patrick's Day a blast with Spotlight!

St Patrick's Day is all about fun. Set the scene in your home for boisterous good times with bright green decorations and plenty of costumes and accessories to keep guests feeling lively and entertained. Then choose what brings you Irish joy - whether that's non-stop U2 on the stereo, a hunt for leprechaun gold with the kids, a fun themed dinner party or a cheeky glass of Guinness with your closest pals. However, you celebrate, it's an excuse to gather your friends and family for a craic of a time, Irish style!

Quick Links

• What Is St Patricks Day?
• Adorn Your Home With St Patrick's Day Decorations
• Dress Up In St Patrick's Day Outfits
• St Patrick's Day Party Games, Crafts and Activities
• St Patrick's Day Party Bags

What Is St Patrick's Day

St Patrick's Day is an annual Irish holiday to commemorate Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. The celebration is held on March 17th, the traditional death day of Saint Patrick. The people of Ireland celebrate this holiday by throwing joyful parades, dressing in green clothing and of course dancing to music. Originating in Ireland, the holiday is now celebrated around the world with people all over the globe dressing up with shamrock headbands, enjoying a Guinness and taking part in parades.

Adorn Your Home With St Patrick's Day Decorations

Is your home ready to salute the Emerald Isle? Set the scene for your St Patrick's Day celebration with plenty of green decorations for an Irish charm. Shamrocks (sprigs of young clover) are symbols of Ireland and Saint Patrick particularly. So, surround yourself with three-leaf clovers to get in the party mood! A shamrock bunting will do the job, draped across your living room or even outdoors underneath a veranda. Or try glitter stick-on shamrocks for a glam look!

Got little ones to entertain? Why not create pots of leprechaun gold with chocolate coins? Or incorporate rainbow decorations into your scheme? That way, you can celebrate finding fairy gold at the end of the rainbow - another reason to toast our Irish friends!

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Glorious Green Party Supplies

Serving food at your party? Then it's essential you have the right servingware for your guests to enjoy their meal. Why not go the extra mile with your St Patrick's Day theme by continuing this scheme through to your servingware. Beyond the shamrocks and leprechauns, nothing represents a St Patrick's Day party theme like a whole lot of green. Think green balloons and green party supplies like disposable plates and napkins, plus streamers and confetti. When you're done decking your place out just the way Saint Patrick likes, raise a (green) glass and say "sláinte", pronounced "slarn-shuh", to toast your guests' good health the proper Irish way.

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Dress Up in St Patrick's Day Outfits and Accessories

St Patrick's Day is the day for everyone to embrace their inner Irishness - even if your family tree goes nowhere near the Emerald Isle. Inject a bit of fun into the proceedings by putting together some St Patrick's Day outfits from our selection of costumes and accessories. Whether you're getting all dolled up for some fiddle band music and Irish dancing or raising a glass or two with friends and family, we've got your party looks covered.

Novelty headbands with bold green colours are sure to get Irish (and non-Irish) eyes smiling. If you're planning a get-together, have a few on hand for guests to wear - or maybe they'd prefer something a bit more slinky, like a green feather boa?

You can really commit to the celebrations by dressing in green from head to toe, starting with vibrant green hair. Try a fun wig or some coloured hair spray. Get creative with green face paint - kids and adults will love tiny shamrocks or love heart designs. Or dab on some green glitter gel for a look that says, "I'm Irish and I'm ready to party".

For something a bit more subtle, look out for smaller accessories, like shamrock hair clips or a jaunty pair of socks.

Novelty headbands with bold green colours are sure to get Irish (and non-Irish) eyes smiling. If you're planning a get-together, have a few on hand for guests to wear - or maybe they'd prefer something a bit more slinky, like a green feather boa?

You can really commit to the celebrations by dressing in green from head to toe, starting with vibrant green hair. Try a fun wig or some coloured hair spray. Get creative with green face paint - kids and adults will love tiny shamrocks or love heart designs. Or dab on some green glitter gel for a look that says, "I'm Irish and I'm ready to party".

For something a bit more subtle, look out for smaller accessories, like shamrock hair clips or a jaunty pair of socks.

Celebrate With St Patrick's Day Party Games, Crafts and Activities

St Patrick's Day may have a bit of a boozy reputation, but it's a holiday the whole family can celebrate, including little ones. With our favourite St Patrick's Day party games and activities, your party will be one to remember.

Get Crafting! St Patrick's Day Craft Ideas For Kids and Adults

Arty kids can even help with the decorating - let them have a go at making a dual rainbow painting that is sure to entice a little gold to make an appearance! Or if you're looking for a more sensory-driven activity, kids will love making green-coloured slime!

If you're hosting a craft session for adults, consider decorative projects that they can take home and display in their space such as our Shamrock Feathers Leaf Wreath. With pops of greenery, this project offers a subtle nod to the gallant green-themed holiday for your guests to look back on and remember your party all year round.

Spotlight offers hundreds of free projects for every skill level, so you'll be sure to find the right one for your crafting session. Check out our free projects online now!

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DIY With Cricut This St Patrick's Day

A Cricut machine is your ultimate companion for creating customised St Patrick's Day t-shirts, crafts and accessories. You can make a unique t-shirt, decorations, mug, party favours and more. The creative possibilities are endless!

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Green Snacks, Meals And Desserts

Gathering the clan together? Spend some time baking some St Patrick's Day food! With green food colouring, you can turn any meal into a St Patrick's Day themed feast including green cupcakes, cookies or ice cream. Take your celebrations to the next level by baking a stunning cake such as a rainbow cake, or maybe even a chocolate Guinness cake for family and friends to enjoy. If you're keen on more time in the kitchen, why not try for an entire, green-coloured meal? Guacamole to start, pesto pasta for mains, then mint ice cream for dessert! Have fun coming up with different St Patrick's Day food types the whole family can enjoy.

Learn How To Irish Dance

Get moving (and laughing) with some Irish dancing attempts - YouTube and Tik Tok have plenty of inspiration. You could even find some helpful tutorials! Or why not take it a step further and hire a professional Irish dancer to teach you the fundamentals of Irish dancing.

St Patricks Day Party Games

Get creative with your game planning this St Patrick's Day. Check out our favourite St Patrick's Day party games that both kids and adults are sure to enjoy:

• Gold coin toss - This game offers a nod to the Irish folklore tale of leprechauns guarding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. In this game, place a Leprechaun's pot on the floor and mark a barrier at a certain distance from the pot on the floor for players to stand behind. Have your guests then take turns attempting to throw coins into the pot. Award points per each coin that makes it into the pot. You can then award the winner based on the number of points scored once all coins have been thrown.
• St Patrick's themed Pictionary - Prior to your party, write a few Irish-themed terms (like iconic characters, meals or symbols) on pieces of paper, fold them up and place them in a hat. At your party split your guests into two teams and have each member take a turn randomly selecting a piece of paper out of a hat and drawing it for their team to guess. The team with the most guesses once everyone has had their turn wins!
• Clover scavenger hunt - Cut out four-leaf clovers from green cardboard and paper and hide them around your home or backyard (if the weather is nice) then write clues to help lead your guests to the clovers. The person with the most clovers wins!

St Patrick's Day Party Bags and Accessories

Everyone loves receiving a party favour to take home after celebrating an event. When it comes to St Patrick's Day party ideas, putting together Irish-themed party bags for your guests is always a great option. Here's what you could include in your St Patrick's Day party bag:

• Toys - No party bag is complete without an array of toys. Whether you opt for one or several, every child will love a new Irish-themed toy
• Sweets - Of course as well as toys, children and adults alike appreciate delicious lollies in return for their attendance to any celebration. St Patrick's Day party ideas for party bags can include green lollies or cookies decorated with green icing for that classic Irish charm.
• Costume jewellery - Think shimmering necklaces, bracelets and rings in gorgeous green tones for an elegant St Patrick's Day celebration.
• Headwear - Perfect for larger party bags, headbands, hats and other green-coloured headpieces are the perfect addition to any party bag and are sure to have your guests ready to celebrate St Patrick's Day every year

Struggling for ideas on what to include in your St Patrick's Day party bags? Read through our helpful buying guide on what to include in party bags for more tips and inspiration.

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Enjoy St Patrick's Day Festivities With Spotlight

Happy St Patrick's Day to all! Celebrate by throwing your friends and family a grand ol-time with the perfect St Patrick's themed party. Shop our incredible party range online or in-store to find all the green, sparkly and eye-catching decorations and costumes you need for your celebration.

For a little assistance in finding the right decor for your party, read our party decorations buying guide or check out our other party buying guides to discover more tips and tricks to help you plan for your next event.

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