Make some super cute printable paper guinea pigs. This set has a mama with two babies to cut, fold and slot together – no glue needed!
This printable craft was first published in 2016 and has been updated with a new, improved template set and reshared for today’s audience.
This template is also available in our pet crafts value bundle.
Do you have a soft spot for guinea pigs? I do. Last year we bought two young pigs by the names of Bob and Lucy for our girls.
I say ‘for our girls’, but secretly I bought them for me.
When I was growing up we kept guinea pigs. We began with three, which soon became many. We sold the babies to the pet shop (if we weren’t allowed to keep them), and the four dollars per piggy she paid us was GOLD to a ten-year-old.
I wanted my girls to experience being guinea pig owners, especially the part with tiny fur babies. This happened quicker than I anticipated!
As expected, they’re both smitten and I’m happy to report that it’s just as amazing as I remembered to hold a baby guinea pig in your hands. This picture is of a one-day-old baby.
This one’s a few weeks old.
Guinea pig babies are born completely covered in fur with their eyes open (unlike hairless baby mice). Straight away, they can walk around and even eat grass. They grow fast. After 7 weeks, ours were more than ready to leave their mama.
It was sad to say goodbye, but all 3 of Lucy’s babies have moved on and found new homes now.
She won’t be having any more because Bob has been desexed (an interesting discussion to have with kids!). We thought it would be kinder for Lucy not to be constantly pregnant. Also, it’s a big responsibility to find good homes for all their babies, so these three were it for our family.
When the last of the babies was shipped off to his new home, Miss K asked me to make a paper guinea pig for her.
You know I’m always up for a paper craft challenge!
Paper guinea pigs aren’t the same as the real thing, but they are still cute. If you have a kid who’d love a pet guinea pig but don’t want the responsibility of keeping them, this is the next best thing.
New, improved template set
This template now comes with printable photos and instructions and includes a colour-your-own version. Thanks to a reader suggestion, I’ve also added a blank version of the piggies (with no fur markings) so kids can make piggies that look like their own pets.
How to make printable paper guinea pigs
You will need:
- Card stock in white
- Markers if colouring your own
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Optional scoring tool (or use a blunt butter knife), cutting mat
and ruler - The Guinea Pig template set, available from our printables store and TPT store
How to:
Print the templates to card stock. Colour with markers if using the colour-your-own set.
Cut the shapes out.
Optionally, score the fold lines across the top of the guinea pigs’ backs with your scoring tool and knife.
Fold the guinea pig, glue the support tab into place in the piggie’s lower stomach, and slot the ears into the marked slits.
I’ve made a second set of babies using earth coloured card stock (kraft paper) to give the mama more babies.
Miss K was very pleased with them!
More paper animal crafts for kids
- These paper chain snakes are based on two real species of pythons – and you can also design your own
- Make a fun, bouncy, frog on a lilypad
- See all our animal crafts here
Get the pet craft bundle
