3d Paper Penguin Ornament & Greeting Card - Red Ted Art

Sooo many moons ago, we made a lovely little 3d Paper Snowman Ornament that people LOVE LOVE LOVE (yay!!). I have had many requests over the years to make a simple snowman template to go with it.. and as I was making it, I thought.. hang on.. this would make a wonderful little 3d Paper Penguin Ornament too.. oh and whilst I am at it.. why not add a Pop Up Penguin card as well… so. Here you have it, not a 2 for 1 but a 4 in 1 craft today! Oh how we love a good Christmas Paper Craft, that serves us will as a Winter Craft as well!! Who doesn’t love Penguins, eh?!

As always, I try and make my crafts as accesible as possible to all. So the basic snowman template (see big red button below to access it), is available for free (you simply need to add simple wings and feet IF you wish). And I have more detailed pack available for the classroom. The detailed Winter Art Project includes, three different basic template sizes, as well as classroom printer friendly versions – where you can print directly onto dark blue paper or white paper or any other colour you wish to make! As well of course as the ad-free printable worksheets that you can simply whip out for the classroom. Making this a very low prep project to do during the Holiday Season or in the New Year as you settle back to school!

As these paper penguins and paper snowmen have a 3d element to them, many teachers like to tick the simple “Winter STEAM project” box too! Exploring shapes and 3d shapes! So fun!

Supplies needed to make your 3d Paper Penguin Ornaments or Pop Up Penguin Cards

Your templates (see below)

Penguin colored paper (I used black, but dark blue would be lovely, or you can make some purple and pink ones too)
White, yellow and orange paper scraps (for tummy, beak, feet, eyes and scarf)
Light card for the Pop Up Penguin Card
Bakers twine for the 3d Penguin Ornament
Scissors
Glue stick (a good quality one.. don’t use white glue as it doesn’t dry as quickly and makes the paper wavey)
Optional: hole punch to make confetti snow on the greeting card
Optional: Colorful felt tip pens if making the penguin scarf

If you look at this list of supplies, it is basically just paper!

As mentioned – there is a very basic snowman template for free (enter $0 at check out) – which is the same for the penguin, just add wings and feet. OR you can get the extensive resource, that has all the snowman shapes and penguin shapes, as well as different sizes for the snowman! Available in both my Teacher’s Pay Teacher’s Store and Gumroad. Thank you for your ongoing support!

Video Tutorial vs Photo Instructions

We have the Paper Snowman Tutorial here – the paper penguin and snowman are essentially the same, if you prefer watching a video tutorial vs the step by step photo instructions of this winter paper craft below!

How to make your Pop Up Penguin Card (and Penguin Ornament Below)

Let’s begin with the Pop Up Penguin Card! As you know we LOVE LOVE LOVE Pop Up Cards for Kids, especially ones you can make and send at Christmas.

The pop up card needs slightly less circles than the 3d ornament. So you only need to cut out:

6 black circles
1 white circle
2 wings
2 feet
A beak
1 OR 6 Black circles for the head (see below, I preferred one in the end, but it looks great with a 3d head too!)

Note the uneven number of circles for the penguin’s body. But that the 3d head has an EVEN number of circles, so that the beak is centred.

Once you have all your circles. Fold the circles in half.

Time to stack your shapes, to get that 3d effect. Take one black half circle, add glue. And stack a second black circle on top.

Do this for three of the black circles. Then add the white circle. Then add the remaining 3 black circles.

This positions the white tummy in the middle of your circle stack bauble.

Repeat the same for the penguin’s head if you are making it in 3d. Add the beak in between the 3rd and 4th circle, so again, it is in the middle of your stack! Note that the head has an EVEN number of circles.

Make a 3d head IF YOU WANT to use it (I later changed my mind!)

Here is an alternative head in 2d! Also reshaped the beak a little. But it is all down to personal preference. Glue the shapes together and fold the head in half.

Now it is time to assemble the card. Add glue to one half of the penguin’s tummy stack.

Place inside the card aligning it withe centre fold (bottom left) and make sure there is enough space for your head to fit nicely too. Once happy. Add glue to the second half of the body and close the flap. Press gently to secure!

Open back up and glue the face, penguin wings and feet in place.

You can also make some fun snowflake confetti with a hole punch. This is almost my favourite bit! Ha.

Here you can see how you can play with the penguin features and decide on the format you want! I do think the 3d head is fun too. But I thought the 2d Head was cute. You can play with teh size of the eyes, the position of the eyes and the position of the head. If you want to “tip” the head (bottom left) just adjust the crease to fit into the spine of the card accordingly!

3d Paper Penguin Ornament

The process for the paper penguin ornament is the same as for the pop up cards. We just use MORE circles for a fuller penguin body. Though you can make these with “less” circles too!

So this time you will need to cut:

8 black body circles
1 tummy
8 Black head circles
A beak
Two feet
And wings
(eyes are optional)

Create your bauble stack, by adding glue to one half of one black circle and placing a second black circle on top. Repeat with a stack of 4 black circles in total. Then add a white one. Then continue with the remaining 4 circles.

Repeat the same process for the head, with 8 black circles.. and adding the yellow beak as you go! You can add eyes to the penguin if you wish.. but you can leave this until the end and decide then.

Cut string in the right length and knot

Add glue to the spine of the body and one side of the flaps. Place the string along the spine, with the knot peeping out of the bottom.

Open up the circle and connect to the outside flaps to make the 3d ornament shape. Make sure the baker’s twine is secure and the knot is big enough for it to to not slip through.

Repeat for the head. make sure the beak is position to face forward (i.e. above the penguin’s white tummy). Once the glue dries fully, the alignment should stay.

Glue the wings and feet in place. I decided to add the eyes to the inside of the black penguin bauble. But you may wish to omit them, or stick them to the outside. A bit like the spider bauble here.

Color in a long strip of paper to make a scarf. Make sure you like the length around your penguin’s head. This is personal taste to you!! Cut tassels into the scarf.

Then add a little glue to the centre of the scarf and connect the two sides!

Make sure everything is fully aligned and let dry!