Paper Plate Cow Craft

Make a fun paper plate cow craft! You can make your cow look like a dairy cow or use your imagination to create a colorful cow with fun patterns. This craft is simple and perfect for kids of all ages.

15-30 minutes Ages 3-7

About This Project

A 15–30 minutes craft for ages 3–7, using supplies you likely already have — Tape, Staplers, and Scissors.

GlueStick supports kids from setup to cleanup. After they choose a project, we guide them through gathering the supplies, making it, and cleaning up when they're done. We'll even help them share it safely with trusted family and friends.

Ad-free and kid-safe library — designed by a mom who wants kids to explore and create independently.

Step 1: Draw spots on your paper plates.

Take out two paper plates. Draw shapes on the bottom of each plate to make cow spots. You can use a black marker or a pencil. Color in the spots with a black marker or crayon.

Step 2: Assemble your cow's body

Put the two plates together, end to end, so they overlap a little. Use tape to stick them together. If they feel wobbly, you can use glue or staples to connect them.

Step 3: Cut out cow parts using the template.

May need grown-up help

Print the cow craft template. Ask an adult to help you use scissors to cut out all the parts for your cow from construction paper. Cut out the ears and legs from white construction paper. Make sure to cut a small slit in the middle of the bottom of each ear, just like in the picture. Then, cut out the nose from pink construction paper.

Printable Cow Template

Step 4: Decorate the cow's ears, legs, and face.

Now that you have all the parts cut out, get your markers. Decorate each piece of your cow. Add wavy spots to the ears and legs. Don't forget to draw hooves on the legs too. Then, draw a happy face for your cow.

Step 5: Glue the nose and legs onto the paper plates.

It's time to put the pieces of your paper plate cow together. Use a glue stick to attach the nose and each of the legs to the paper plates, just like you see in the picture.

Step 6: Attach the ears and googly eyes.

For the ears, gently overlap the two sides where you made the slit and use some glue to stick them together. This will make the ears stand out a little. Then, use your glue stick to attach the ears to the top of the paper plate head. To finish your cow's face, add some big googly eyes.

Step 7: Make the cow's tail.

Cut a strip of black construction paper, about two inches wide. Make small cuts all along one side of the paper strip, leaving about half an inch at the bottom uncut. On the uncut part of your paper strip, put a lot of glue with your glue stick. Then, roll the strip around half of a pipe cleaner to make your cow's tail.

Step 8: Attach the tail to your cow.

Curl the end of the pipe cleaner tail. Then, use tape to stick it onto the back of your cow, underneath the paper plate. If you want, you can snip the ends of the paper on the tail to make it look even more like a real cow's tail.

Paper Plate Cow Craft

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