3D Pet Ofrenda Kit
A little paper altar that stands on its own: three steps, a marigold arch, candles, their bowl and their photo. Print it at home and build it with your own hands.
- 4
- printed pages
- 45 min
- to build
- 6 in
- wide, 8 in tall
- Dog & cat
- color or coloring
Make it theirs
Everything updates on the pages as you type. Nothing is uploaded: the photo stays on your device.
Pet
Photo
Or leave it empty and glue in a printed photo, 1.5 × 2.5 in.
Style
Paper
Full kit unlocked on this device. Thank you for making it.
In the print dialog choose “Actual size” (100%). To keep a copy, choose “Save as PDF”.
What’s in the kit
- AAltar stepsOne strip that folds into three steps. The front has their name.
- B–CSide wallsStair-shaped sides that hold the steps square.
- DBack wallA marigold arch on a starry night wall.
- EPapel picadoSix paw and bone flags for the top.
- F–GPhoto frameFolk-art frame with a fold-out stand.
- HName plateA little tent with their name and dates.
- ICandlesThree roll-up candles with paper flames.
- J–KBowl and treatTheir bowl with their name, and a bone (or a fish for cats).
- LMarigolds21 cempasúchil flowers to glue anywhere.
What you need
- A color printer and 4 sheets of white cardstock (65–110 lb). Plain paper works for E and L.
- Scissors (a craft knife helps for the inside corners)
- A glue stick and a little white glue for the tabs
- A ruler and a dry ballpoint pen to score the folds
- Optional: a pencil to roll the candles
How to build it
About 45 minutes, at a table, with no rush. Score before you fold: it is the difference between soft and crisp steps.
Print and gather
Print the four pages at 100% on cardstock. Check the 2-inch bar at the bottom with a ruler.
Cut out the steps
Cut strip A along the solid lines, tabs included. Go slowly around the little tabs.
Score and fold
Run a dry pen along every dashed line against a ruler, then fold the strip into a zigzag of three steps. Fold every tab back.
Add the sides
Glue the tabs of A onto the plain side of B and C. Hold each one for a few seconds until the steps stand square.
Raise the back wall
Glue the back tabs of B and C to the back of D. Glue the papel picado E across the top, under the arch.
Set the ofrenda
Stand the frame on the top step with G behind it, then the name plate, the candles, the bowl and the treat. Scatter the marigolds.
Why make it by hand
You could buy a finished altar, or print a picture. But an ofrenda has always been something a family makes: setting out the food, arranging the flowers, lighting the candles. The making is part of the remembering.
Cutting around the paw on their name plate, folding the steps, choosing the photo: it is forty-five quiet minutes spent thinking about them. Many people find that this is the part that helps most, more than the finished altar.
So take your time. Let a child color the coloring version, or build it together as a family on the evening of October 27, the day many people set a place for their pets. Crooked folds are fine. It is made by you, for them, and that is what makes it theirs.
Questions
Is the kit free?
Pages 1 to 3 are free: the altar itself, with their name. The full kit adds page 4, with the photo frame, name plate, candles and marigolds, for a one-time $6.99. Once unlocked, print it as many times as you like for personal use.
How do I pay, and where is my kit?
Checkout is handled by Waffo (card, Apple Pay or Google Pay). After paying you come straight back to this page with the full kit unlocked. Keep the link it shows to unlock it again on another device.
What paper is best?
Cardstock between 65 and 110 lb (176–300 g/m²) for the steps, sides, back wall and frame. Regular printer paper is fine for the papel picado and the marigolds.
Can I print it on A4?
Yes. Choose A4 above before you print. Every piece stays the same size.
Is my pet’s photo uploaded?
No. The photo is placed into the frame inside your browser and never leaves your device.
When do pets come home?
Many families set a place for their animals on October 27, before Día de los Muertos on November 1 and 2. Read more in our guide to the pet ofrenda.
More for your pet ofrenda
What a pet ofrenda means
Marigolds, water, candles and the dog who guides souls home.
Pet photo ofrenda
A picture of your pet on a real altar, ready to share.
Dog-bone papel picado template
To hang above the ofrenda.