If you decide to cut a slit in the lid of the coffee can you might use it to collect spare change for your favourite charity.

We like to use acrylic paint for most of our projects.  It is fairly easy to find and inexpensive -- we usually buy ours from the dollar store in the neighbourhood but we also sometimes get it at the craft store or Amazon.  I like that it comes in small containers in a zillion colors so I can shop for the colors I need for each project without feeling guilty about waste.  Acrylic paint is waterproof so it can sit outside.  It is cleanable if you wipe it up while it's still wet.  It dries fairly quickly so children don't end up sitting around waiting for the various stages of the project.

Materials:

• clean coffee can with a lid
• black and green paint
• paint brush
• black and yellow construction paper
• green construction paper or a cereal box
• scissors
• glue 

Instructions:

• OPTIONAL:  Cut a small slit in the middle of the lid if you would like to use your leprechaun hat to collect spare change.
• Paint the bottom inch or two of the can black.
• Let dry.
• Put the lid on the can and paint the can green but leaving a ring at the bottom black.
• Let dry.
• Cut a green circle out of construction paper.  We used a plate to trace the circle first.  If you do not have green construction paper you can cut the circle from a cardboard box like a cereal box and paint it green.
• Glue this green circle to the bottom of the can to make a brim for the hat.
• Cut a square with rounded corners out of a piece of yellow construction paper.  The yellow square should be a little bigger than the black stripe at the bottom of the can.
• Cut a slightly smaller square with rounded corners out of black construction paper.
• Cut a small notch out of the side of the black square so it looks like a "C".  (See picture)
• Glue the notched black square on the yellow square and glue the yellow square to the hat to look like a buckle.  (See finished photo above.)