Make a Magic Leprechaun Pouch

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Now that you've got a big fourth grader, you might as well resign yourself: talk about leprechauns and you're going to see some serious eye rolling. But knowing the “truth” doesn't mean a kid can't still have some fun on St. Patrick's Day, especially if it means doing a little magic for some littler kids! Here's a variation of a classic trick in which a kid makes a message “appear” in a pouch out of thin air. (Well, almost). Here's how:

What You Need:

Two 9x12” pieces of green felt, 1 piece white
Craft glue or hot glue gun
Gold stick-on flat jewels
Thin white yarn and embroidery needle; regular green thread and needle, to match color of green felt.
Pouch template (download here)
Lightweight white paper and gold marker
One flat gold-foil wrapped chocolate coin

What You Do:

Download the pouch templates. Cut one long rectangular piece from one piece of green felt, and then cut one each from the two circle templates.
Cut about 36” of yarn, and thread it through the eye of an embroidery needle. Double the yarn and make a knot at the end.
Hold the green felt rectangle horizontally, and then pull the ends together to make a tube. Use the white thread to whipstitch them together, like this:
Now turn the tube inside out, and sew the wider of the two circles to one end, to make a bottom for your pouch, like this:
Turn the whole pouch inside out again. Now you've got a bottom on your bag, and if you look inside you'll see the seam you've just made. Now it's time to make your "magic" pouch bottom. Place a bead of glue along the seam, only 2/3rds of the way around, like this:
Place the smaller circle on top of the big one, so that it's glued securely along 2/3 of the circumference of the circle, but 1/3 is unattached. This will be your "secret flap."
Now decorate the front of your pouch with a shamrock design, using the stick-on felt hearts, the gold stick-on jewels, and gold glitter paint, like this:
Thread your embroidery needle with another 30" of white yarn. Double the yarn and make a knot at the end. Now sew big white stitches in a circle, about 1" below the very top of the bag. Leave several inches at each end, and clip. This will be the "drawstring" for your pouch!
Cut a strip of the white paper, 2”x4”, and have your fourth grader write a “lucky leprechaun” message for a little kid for someone for you'd like to do this magic trick. Since this is fourth grade, and kids are studying literary devices this year, seize the “lucky leprechaun” moment and have your child write some “alliteration” in which every word begins with one letter. Here's a message, for example, using “l.” “Lookit! Lovely leprechauns like little kids like YOU!” If you're doing this magic fan for a chocolate lover, you might also insert one flat gold-foil coin as well.
Now you're ready for the magic part. Carefully insert the paper between the two bottom layers of the magic pouch. Then hold the pouch open so that it looks completely empty. Say, “See? Nothing here but air. But if I call a leprechaun, I can get a magic reply!” Make a big show of holding the bag up, and saying a bit of blarney to call down some leprechaun “magic.” Then reach into the bag, and pull out the paper and chocolate coin that are inside. Read them ceremoniously and hand over the chocolate. So what if leprechauns aren't quite real. For folks of any age, they can still bring marvelous message magic (and one more chance to practice active all-star alliteration, too!)