Know what stays. Know what goes.
The printable shows the full, upright design. Check the folding notes below before choosing how to prepare the sheet.
Preserve narrow connections between shapes. Loose shapes need a backing sheet or separate placement; the drawing has not been physically tested for connectivity.
From one A4 sheet to your paper cut
Rough-fold; finish open
The outer scalloped circle is nearly balanced. The ox and foliage are not mirror-symmetric.
Start with a complete, uncut sheet. Each picture shows the paper before that step; red dashes mark only the next cuts. Keep the surrounding paper until the outside-cutting step.
1. Start with a full A4 sheet
Take one blank A4 sheet (210 x 297 mm), preferably thin colored paper. Print PDF page 1 separately at 100% and check its 50 mm line. Center the pattern on your blank sheet; do not cut off the surrounding paper yet.
2. Fold and mark a roomy outline
Fold the A4 sheet lengthwise, left edge over right, with the closed crease on your left. Compare BOTH halves of the original pattern and trace a roomy envelope outside both. Gray lines show this allowance. Leave spare paper; do not trace interior details onto both layers.
3. Rough-cut the outside only
Begin at the loose outside edge of the folded rectangle. Cut through the waste to the red envelope, then follow it through both layers. Keep the extra paper beyond the exact outline. Do not cut any flowers, figures, scallops or internal holes yet.
4. Open, then cut the details
Unfold and flatten the rough shape. Align and trace the complete original drawing in its correct direction. Now cut the ox and foliage details, then the larger gaps inside the scalloped ring, one layer at a time on a cutting mat. Follow the red interior boundaries and preserve the horns, legs, foliage and ring connections.
5. Trim to the exact outline
Keep the sheet open. The rough silhouette still has spare paper around the original. Follow the red exact contour now, trimming each side separately. The two halves may differ; do not fold them together for this finishing cut.
6. Lift and refine
Gently release the cut design from the surrounding offcuts. Lay it flat and trim only attached scraps or uneven edges. Preserve the horns, legs, foliage and ring connections. A finished opening does not need to be cut again.
Folding is optional for a loose outer shape only. To preserve the original drawing, keep spare paper beyond BOTH outlines and finish every exact edge after unfolding. Do not mirror the interior.
PDF page 1 is the clean full-size pattern; pages 2–3 show this complete sequence. A4 is the default; the Letter download uses a Letter sheet. Try a scrap first to check fragile bridges.
Print, prepare, and make
Match the PDF to your paper size and check the 50 mm scale line. Keep the pattern-specific folding sequence above beside you as you work.
Printing a paper cutting template · From download to finished paper cut · Printing and cutting troubleshooting
Paper and tools
Try the paper and tools on a scrap first. Difficulty and time are planning estimates; complete a trial before preparing a group activity.
Paper cutting tools and materialsAbout this template
An ox enclosed in a circular floral border. The animal, foliage, and outer ring form a dense design with many small enclosed details. The PDF is a cutting study; the SVG contains editable vector outlines.
Meaning of the motif
Animals of the twelve-year cycle · Zodiac animals: a cycle of years
Read the cultural context and sources for the recognizable motif. Its use can vary by occasion and tradition.
