How to Make a Paper Cat

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Paper is a great medium for a variety of projects! If you love cats and want to create some of these whimsical creatures out of paper, try making an origami cat, which is simple and fun. For another simple project, cut a cat out of a paper plate. If you have cardstock around, enjoy making a kitty that stands up on its own.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Making an Origami Cat

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  1. Grab one corner and pull it diagonally across the square to the other corner, lining them up on top of each other. Line up the edges, too. Make a crease across the paper, creating one triangle folded on top of another. [1]
    • Run your fingernail across the crease to make it sharper.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Cat
    With the original fold at the top, bring the top right corner over to meet the top left corner, lining them up. Make sure the edges are aligned, and then crease it down the middle. You should now have a smaller triangle with a fold on the right. [2]
    • Once you've run your fingernail along this crease, open it up again to the original triangle you folded.
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  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Cat
    Lift up the right corner of the triangle. Bring it over toward the middle. When you make this fold, the edge of the triangle will start at the middle point of the larger triangle on the long top side and run outward to one side of the bottom point. The point will hang over the edge of the larger triangle. Make a crease along the top. Do the same on the other side. [3]
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Cat
    Grab the point at the bottom and make a fold about 1/4 of the way up the triangle. That will leave the point about halfway up. Use your finger to make a crease across this fold. [4]
    • At this point, you should have a triangle on each side with the points hanging over the edge. In the middle, you'll have a large triangle with a smaller triangle inside it.
  5. When you flip it over, turn the paper so the pointed parts you folded over the edge are at the top, making the ears. Draw on eyes, a nose, mouth, and whiskers, and your paper kitty is done. [5]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Creating a Cat out of a Paper Plate

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Cat
    Use your fingers to stretch out the edge of the paper plate as much as possible. Paint the back side of the plate the color you want your cat to be. Black works well for a scary Halloween cat! [6]
    • You can use acrylic paint, tempura paint, or even finger paint. Apply it with a sponge brush, sponge, or large paintbrush.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Cat
    Use a food container top or another large circle you have. The circle should take up about 50% of the larger circle. Trace it close to one edge on the non-painted side, then cut out the circle and that edge together. [7]
    • You can also use a compass to trace the circle.
    • You want the larger circle to end up looking like a crescent moon with pointed ends.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Cat
    The head piece is the smaller circle you snipped out of the original plate. Using a container lid, trace a smaller circle onto the back of this piece in the smooth part of the plate and snip around it. Leave the wrinkled edge for the tail. From the strip you have left, cut out 2 small triangles for ears and a curved piece for the tail. [8]
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Cat
    Flip the crescent shape so the points are downward, forming the legs. Turn it to the non-painted side. Tape or glue the smaller circle on one side of the arch near the top. Place it slightly behind the big circle. Arrange the tail arching away from the crescent on the other end and tape or glue it into place. [9]
    • The painted sides should all be facing front.
  5. Glue the ears you cut out on the back of the cat's head with the painted side facing forward. Cut out small strips for the whiskers and glue them into place. For the eyes and nose, you can cut out pieces of paper in other colors or use googly eyes and a pompom for the nose. [10]
    • For a cat nose, cut a little triangle out of pink paper. For eyes, cut eye shapes then draw in slits in the middle.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Cutting out and Gluing a Paper Cat

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  1. Create 2 rectangles. Each one will be 5.5 by 8.5 inches (14 by 22 cm). You'll use one half for the body of the cat and one half for the head and tail. [11]
    • This can be any color you want. Try black for Halloween or a white cat for winter!
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Cat
    Find the middle of the long edge on one of the smaller pieces of cardstock you just cut. Fold it over to make this long edge half the size; make sure the edges meet. [12]
    • For another type of body, cut out a wide triangle with a curved edge. Pull the sides of the triangle together to overlap, making a cone. Glue the edges together. You can cut out small strips of paper for feet at the bottom. [13]
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Cat
    On the folded rectangle, find the new long edge that's not the folded edge. Come in about 1 inch (2.5 cm) on this edge and cut a half circle that reaches to about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the other side. [14]
    • This makes the body and the legs; the top of the half circle is the body and the parts that come down are the legs. Unfold the rectangle slightly to make an "A" shape. On the bottom of each leg, bend out a small square that's about 0.25 inches (0.64 cm) long; fold it at a 90-degree angle to make feet.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Cat
    Use a half sheet of cardstock, though pick a different color from the cat. Add glue to the bottom of the cat's feet and press them onto the cardstock. As you glue the body, make an "A" shape with it using the feet as the bottom of the "A." Hold the feet in place for a few seconds until the glue starts to set. [15]
    • If you used the cone-shaped body, you don't need to glue it to anything, as it is sturdy enough as it is.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Cat
    Cut about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of cardstock off one of the short ends, leaving a rectangle that's about 7.5 by 5.5 inches (19 by 14 cm). Cut off the corners of the strip so that the tail is pointed at both of the short ends. [16]
    • You could cut out a curvy tail instead if you prefer! [17]
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Cat
    Fold the piece of paper so that you half the long side. On the long non-folded edge, make the cat's chin by curving the corners with scissors. Unfold the rectangle for a moment, and start cutting halfway up the bottom rectangle; as you do, angle the cut in about 1 inch (2.5 cm) and stop at the crease in the middle. Fold the rectangle back, and the cuts you just made will pop up for the ears. [18]
    • Run your fingernail along the crease at the top to make sure the cat's face stays folded.
  7. Watermark wikiHow to Make a Paper Cat
    For the eyes, cut out 2 eye shapes from a contrasting color. Yellow goes well with black! Draw in a slit on each eye with a marker. Using the scraps of paper from your cat's main color, cut out small strips of paper for the whiskers. Glue the eyes and whiskers in place on the cat's face. [19]
  8. Along the top of the fold on the cat's body, cut a small slit going downward on either end of the body about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the ends. Slide the back rectangle of the cat's face into one end, facing away from the body. Slide one end of the tail into the back slit. [20]
    • Add a bit of glue if they don't want to stay in place.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Is there a way to make it 3D?
    Community Answer
    There is a pattern in the Silhouette library for a 3D paper cat. There are also many patterns and ideas if you Google "3D paper cat."
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    Not Helpful 9 Helpful 26
  • Question
    Can I make it 3D?
    HumanBeing
    Top Answerer
    Paper is not a good medium for 3D creations. Try making a cat from modelling clay instead of paper.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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    Not Helpful 15 Helpful 18
  • Question
    Why doesn't the cat have a body?
    Community Answer
    It has nowhere to stick the body to -- but you could try to make it out of modeling clay.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      Things You'll Need

      Making an Origami Cat

      • Square piece of paper
      • Pen or marker


      Creating a Cat out of a Paper Plate

      • Paper plate
      • Acrylic paint
      • Paintbrush
      • Scissors
      • Circular lid
      • Glue or tape
      • Paper scraps or googly eyes and a pompom

      Cutting out and Gluing a Paper Cat

      • Cardstock
      • Scissors
      • Glue or glue stick



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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2R_s9nsaF4&feature=youtu.be&t=17
      2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2R_s9nsaF4&feature=youtu.be&t=24
      3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eExNjaHWnh8&feature=youtu.be&t=38
      4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2R_s9nsaF4&feature=youtu.be&t=41
      5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2R_s9nsaF4&feature=youtu.be&t=71
      6. ↑ https://craftsbyamanda.com/paper-plate-black-cat/
      7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8P5hH7LeC4&feature=youtu.be&t=51
      8. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8P5hH7LeC4&feature=youtu.be&t=67
      9. ↑ https://craftsbyamanda.com/paper-plate-black-cat/
      1. ↑ https://craftsbyamanda.com/paper-plate-black-cat/
      2. ↑ https://artprojectsforkids.org/halloween-black-cat/
      3. ↑ https://artprojectsforkids.org/halloween-black-cat/
      4. ↑ https://www.easypeasyandfun.com/paper-cat-craft-template/
      5. ↑ https://artprojectsforkids.org/halloween-black-cat/
      6. ↑ https://artprojectsforkids.org/halloween-black-cat/
      7. ↑ https://artprojectsforkids.org/halloween-black-cat/
      8. ↑ https://www.easypeasyandfun.com/paper-cat-craft-template/
      9. ↑ https://artprojectsforkids.org/halloween-black-cat/
      10. ↑ https://www.easypeasyandfun.com/paper-cat-craft-template/
      11. ↑ https://www.easypeasyandfun.com/paper-cat-craft-template/

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