Easy Cow Origami Envelope

| |

Whether you are looking for easy Farm Crafts for Kids or looking for some fun Year of the Ox activities, check out our super duper easy Cow Origami Envelope! Making Origami Envelopes is quick and easy.. then learn how to turn it into a cow envelope or ox envelope!

Year of the Ox Origami

This easy Chinese New Year craft for kids, comes with a free printable “Happy New Year” note to add to your Ox Envelopes. Scroll down for the download!

Cow origami envelopes for Farmyard lessons or Year of the Ox crafting

To make your Cow Origami Envelope you will need:

  • Paper in the desired colours
  • Scissors
  • Glue stick
  • Pens

If making these for the Year of the Ox – do download your free “Happy New Year” printable! There are different sizes. I found the 8 per sheet size perfect for our envelopes!

How to make an origami envelope cow for Year of the Ox

Cut a triangle

You will need a square piece of paper to begin with. Take your A4 sheet of your “main” cow colour – if making this cow origami envelope for the Year of the Ox, why not use the auspicious RED colour as the main body of your ox craft?

Fold up a corner to make a triangle. Cut along the edge (keep the cut offs for the Ox’s ears).

You should now have a large triangle – which, if you unfold, makes a square. Keep folded.

Fold down the flap

With the long edge perpendicular to you, fold down the top of half of the triangle. If you are familiar with our Corner Bookmarks, this is the same step at the beginning!

You should now be able to “see” 4 triangles of equal side.

fold the sides

Take the right hand side and fold over.

Repeat with the left hand side – make sure the right and left match!

make the nose

Now you will make the little “lip” that allows you to tuck in the envelope cover and will also be the place to add your paper cow “nose”.

Make a fold perpendicular to the bottom edge.

With your index finger, push the bottom of this fold in – it should start forming a square (you may want to watch the video for this bit!).

Fold down flat.

Origami cow envelope

Bring down the top of the remaining triangle to make the flap of your envelope.

Your basic origami envelope is done.

Decorating the origami envelope for the Year of the Ox

cow origami envelope

It is now time to decorate. You will need:

  • An oval for the nose
  • Two eyes (I drew these on white paper and cut them out, if making a white cow, you can draw them straight on toe the envelope!)
  • Two ears
  • Two horns
Year of the Ox envelopes

Adapt the colours of your features accoring to whether you are “Just” making a Cow Origami Envelope or a Year of the Ox envelope. You can even adjust the colours some more and turn it into a Highland Cow Envelope!

Stick the “nose” of the cow onto the diamond at the front (not the whole envelope).

Then stick the ears and horns onto the back of the envelope and draw the eyes and any black spots!

Cow envelope craft

What do you think? Aren’t they cute?! And so so easy!

Year of the Ox activities:

Year of the Ox Crafts

More Chinese New Year Crafts:

Great Chinese New Year's Ideas for Kids

And finally – our list of Zodiac Animal Crafts (plus information on what year they occur in!):

Exploring Chinese New Year with Animal Crafts for the Chinese Zodiac
paper cow crafts for kids - envelopes

Find out more about Chinese New Year