Paper Plate Cow Craft (with FREE Craft Template)

What is it about cows that just makes every child smile? I remember driving down the road, and every time my kids would see a field with cows in it the event was loudly announced. I mean…it’s not like we never saw cows. We lived in the country, but it still evoked a little excitement every time. This paper plate cow craft is so fun and simple to make and is appropriate for kids ages preschool on up. Even toddlers can enjoy many aspects of creating this farm animal craft.

If you enjoy this cow craft, you also going to love making this paper plate pig to join him. You are also going to want to check out this collection of popsicle stick farm animal crafts. Happy crafting!

You’re Going to Want to Make EVERY SINGLE Paper Plate Animal Craft in this Collection with Your Kids…

Here are a few fun facts about cows:

Let’s talk about dairy cows more specifically (since that’s how we’ve decorated our cow craft for kids). Did you know that they can see in 330 degrees around? They can see so much of what is happening in their environment…way more than humans can see. And they can see in color but only see the colors red, green and blue. Red is very hard for them to see. They also have a very strong sense of smell.

They don’t sleep very much at all and just take mini cat naps throughout the day. Cows drink a lot of water, about an entire bathtub full every day. They’re very social animals and enjoy living in communities of 20 to 30. When with their friends and family, they communicate with mooing but also with body positions and facial expressions. To learn more about cows, check out this article from treehugger.com.

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SUPPLIES FROM THE BAG

• 2 Paper plates (9-inch coated are best)
• Markers
• Tape
• Stapler (optional)
• Construction paper
• Glue stick
• White or black pipe cleaner
• Scissors
• Googly eyes (we used 25mm self-adhestive)
• Paper Plate Cow craft template

Have you filled your kids’ craft bag yet using our master list of supplies? If not, what are you waiting for? It’s such a great way to get started and to keep going on a creative adventure with your kids. By prepping once, you will be ready to make every craft that you see here and in our Shop…because we make every single craft project using that same master list of supplies. So, just fill your bag and craft along!

How to Make a Paper Plate Cow Craft

Step 1: Draw the Spots on Your Paper Cow Craft

• Take out 2 paper plates (we used 9-inch coated).
• Draw random shapes on the bottom of each of the plates that will be the spots on your cow. You can do this with a black marker or a pencil.
• Then color in the spots using black marker or crayon (or even paint if you prefer). We liked the look of the black sharpie marker for this step.
• Place the 2 plates end to end, overlapping by about an inch or so.
• Secure them together using tape, with some rolls placed in between. If your plates don’t feel stable enough, you can use glue or staples instead to connect the 2 plates.

Step 2: Use the Paper Plate Cow Craft Template

• Print the cow craft template.
• You can use this template to cut out all of the parts for your cow craft from construction paper.
• From white construction paper, cut out the ears and legs. Be sure to add the 1″ slit in the center of the ears on the bottom as pictured.
• Last cut out the nose from pink construction paper.

Step 3: Decorate the Parts

• Now that you have all of the parts cut out, get out your markers.
• Decorate each of the pieces of your cow. Add wavy spots to the ears and legs. And be sure to add some hooves to the legs too.
• Then give your cow a happy face.

Step 4: Put Together Your Farm Animal Paper Plate Craft

• It’s time to put the pieces of your paper plate cow craft in place.
• Use a glue stick to attach the nose and each of the legs as pictured.

Step 5: Finish Off the Details

• For the ears, slightly overlap the 2 sides where you cut in the slit, and secure it with some glue. This gives the ears a slightly 3D look.
• Then use your glue stick to attach the ears to the top of the head paper plate.
• To finish off his look, add some large googly eyes. We used 25mm self-adhesive. You can also choose to use our free printable eyes for crafts instead.

Step 6: Let’s Make a Cow Tail

• Cut a strip of black construction paper, about 2 inches wide.
• Snip all across the paper, leaving about 1/2″ at the bottom uncut.
• On the uncut part of your paper strip, use your glue stick to generously apply glue.
• Then simply roll the strip around half of a white pipe cleaner to form the tail of your cow craft.

Step 7: Add the Finishing Detail for Your Cow Craft

• Curl the end of the pipe cleaner tail.
• Then tape it down in place on the underside of the back plate.
• An optional last step is to give the tail a little more detail by snipping at the ends so that the paper is not just straight across but looks more like the ends of a real cow’s tail.

We stuck to traditional dairy cow colors for our paper plate cow craft, but you can make whatever creative choices you would like. As a matter of fact, your cow doesn’t need to look like any cow you’ve ever seen before in real life. It’s design can come entirely from your imagination. So, if you would rather make a purple cow with pink stars on it, go right ahead! The only limit is your imagination.

Check out this Sheep Craft Video Tutorial

Enjoy Making Even More Farm Animal Crafts

• Popsicle Stick Farm Animals
• Newspaper Sheep Craft
• Paper Plate Pig
• Painted Cow Craft
• Paper Plate Duck Craft
• Paper Plate Sheep
• Fluffy Sheep Craft
• Wiggly Ear Sheep Craft
• Rooster Craft
• Horse Craft

Save this Paper Plate Craft for later. Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board…