Layered Paper Shamrock Mandala

Create a beautiful, layered paper shamrock mandala to display this for St. Patrick’s Day! Using cardstock, foam adhesive dots and my Cricut Design Space file, you can make a dimensional paper project that can be displayed on the wall or on a table using an easel.

Hello Crafty Friends! St. Patrick’s Day is almost here and this layered paper shamrock is a fun decoration to display for the holiday. I love to display my layered paper projects in an easel, but it can also be hung on the wall depending on what space you have.

This paper shamrock is made from five layers of paper separated with tiny foam dots which give it a lovely 3 dimensional look. I chose to use Bazzill and American Crafts cardstock in five varying shades of green. 

The entire shamrock is backed with a layer of chipboard, which I recommend if you plan to display the shamrock in an easel. Without the chipboard I’ve found the paper will gradually start to lean backwards. 

This shamrock mandala design was made using files from Cricut Design Space. You can use the file I created in Design Space and either use it as is, or adjust the size and color of the paper to fit your needs. My finished shamrock measures 9″ tall by about 9″ wide.

If you love creating layered paper crafts be sure to check out my other projects including other layered paper frames like my Holiday Ornament Frame, Easter Basket, Pumpkin Frame, or Paw Print Frame!

Layered Paper Shamrock Mandala

Choosing the Paper

For my layered paper projects, I like to choose a sturdy cardstock that is also solid core. Solid core means the paper is the same color on the inside as it is on the outside. White core, or printed cardstock, is paper that is colored on just the front and back and the inside is white. I find with the intricate cuts of the mandala design, that solid core cardstock gives a more polished look and there is no white visible that may distract from the design.

I used a combination of Bazzill and American Crafts cardstock, all 80lb in weight. The sturdier cardstock will hold up better, especially if you display the shamrock in an easel. I recommend using a layer of chipboard on the back of the shamrock to give the frame even more structure and keep it from flopping over in an easel.

Supplies Needed:

• Cricut Design Space File
• Cardstock
  • Layer 1 – Bazzill Evergreen
  • Layer 2 – Bazzill Patch
  • Layer 3 – mystery paper from my stash! 
  • Layer 4 – Bazzill Lime Crush
  • Layer 5 – Bazzill Spearmint Stick
• Chipboard – I used Medium Weight 0.057 chipboard but my Explore was not able to cut all the way through it so I used a craft knife to finish cutting it.
• Foam Adhesive Dots
• Display stand
• Cricut Explore or Cricut Maker
• Cricut Tools
• Standard Cutting Mat
• Cricut Brayer

Preparing the File in Cricut Design Space

This Shamrock Mandala was created in Cricut Design Space using a mandala image by Cricut and a circle shape. I like my layered paper crafts to rest in an easel and find a circular shape works well. The finished Shamrock Mandala measures 9″ x 9″. You can resize the design or change the colors of the layers. There is one optional layer included, a Chipboard Layer, that can be used to add stability to the design.

Cutting the Paper Shamrock

Once the file is ready, cut out all of the layers of paper using your machine. I cut the chipboard layer but my Cricut Explore was not able to cut all the way through the chipboard, even though I did run it through twice using a deep cut blade. To finish cutting it, I used a craft knife and a cutting mat to follow the outline of the circle and finish cutting it out.

With all paper crafts, especially ones with intricate cuts, I recommend using a brayer to apply the paper to the cutting mat. It does such a great job adhering the paper to the mat it really helps avoid a messy cut.

Below you can see all five of my cardstock layers cut.

Layering the Paper Shamrock

Start with the top layer and add foam adhesive dots to the back of the layer. I like to add quite a few dots around the outer edges and fill in at the points where the paper intersects. Once you have covered the back with adhesive, apply the top layer to the middle layer. 

Tip: I found that even though my foam dots were really tiny they were still a bit two wide for the thin outer ring of my design. To fix this, I cut several in half and used them in the thin areas. 

Repeat for the next three layers, adding adhesive dots to the back of the design. I find it best to add my dots in the same place from layer to layer. It’s tricky getting the little dots out of the adhesive sheets, so I use my weeding tool to help remove the paper from each dot and also the dots themselves!

The paper shamrock mandala is finished! Display the shamrock in an easel as I did, or use ribbon and hang it on the wall. This sweet craft makes a fun and festive decoration for St. Patrick’s Day and a wonderful gift for family and friends!

Check out my other projects for St. Patrick’s Day that can be made with your Cricut including my Celtic Knot Embroidery Hoop made with Iron-On, and my Shamrock Window Treat Boxes.