DIY Life

It's fun when the beading bug bites. I can make my own jewelry to match any outfit or any occasion. Making gifts for friends and family is so rewarding: planning out the perfect piece for that person's individual style.

I can even make a campy St. Patrick's Day choker necklace, which you'll learn how to do too.

Actually, it isn't even all that campy, and since it only takes about ten minutes, isn't it worth having apropos jewelry for the Irish fun-fest this March 17th?

You'll need:

• round nose pliers
• wire cutting pliers
• 1 silver headpin
• (2) 3 mm Nephrite Jade round beads
• (1) 6 mm faceted round Czech glass bead, any shade of green you choose
• (1) antiqued pewter Celtic triangle bead
• (3) 4 mm antiqued pewter rondelle with dots

I'll explain the procedure after the break.

Leprechauns are notoriously difficult to spot. These tiny little shoemakers are too busy squirreling away their gold at the elusive end of the rainbow. But if you can catch one and keep it in your sites, legend has it that it must take you to its treasure.

Open-ended construction projects are a great way to get a look into your child's imagination. That's what makes building a leprechaun trap an ideal family craft. Though there's no one right way to catch a leprechaun, below is a simple trap will get you started. Variations are limited only by the supplies you have in your home, and you can check out these inventive traps for ideas.

Take an old shoe or tissue box and paint it green. Be sure to decorate it with plenty of shamrocks. Fill it with tissue paper or paper towel. Leprechauns are small, so fashion a ramp or a ladder for them to climb. Place a gold coin or another treasure on top of the tissue. The idea is that the leprechaun will get greedy and climb over the tissue for the coin, then fall inside and be trapped.