Let's make handmade New Year's cards with horses! A collection of fun ideas that even elementary school kids can do.

How to draw a cute horse

@uka_0618

Drawing lesson! Zodiac horse edition ✨ This time it’s a horse! I even tried drawing it running 🥳#Drawing#YuruKawaii illustration#Drawing lessonZodiac (Chinese zodiac)#Procreate

♬ Umapyoi Densetsu (feat. Koharu Rikka) [cover ver.] – takaokamizuki

If you want a cute horse illustration for your New Year’s card, this is for you! First, draw two ears, keeping them slightly pointy, and connect the space between them.

Sketch the outline so the face is a bit long, and add a fluffy mane between the ears.

Draw a rounded line toward the bottom of the face and place dotted nostrils inside it.

Then add the eyes, color it however you like, and you’re done! The key is to keep a soft, rounded feel throughout.

Try adding patterns if you like, too.

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SAKI

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How to paint a horse in watercolor

If your child enjoys and is good at painting with watercolors, how about having them paint a horse in watercolor? However, if you use watercolor paints directly on a New Year’s postcard, the card may wrinkle or the colors may rub off onto other cards.

It’s recommended to use watercolor paper postcards or scan the finished painting and print it onto the New Year’s card.

If you scan it, you can freely adjust the size afterward, so your child can paint the horse boldly on a large sheet of paper and still use it.

Encourage them to draw freely while looking at the horse they want to depict—whether it’s a drawing, a photograph, or the real thing.

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SAKI

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A horse carved from an eraser stamp

@kururistamp

I’m going to carve a stamp of the zodiac horse for 2026♪Stamp#EraserStamp#New Year's cardHow to make#Production Video

On Pink Clouds – kawaii HarmonyStream

Here’s how to make a horse eraser stamp, perfect for New Year’s cards.

First, draw the horse you want on paper with a pencil.

Next, transfer the drawing onto the eraser and trace it firmly with the pencil.

After that, use a craft knife or carving tool to carve little by little around the lines.

The trick is to leave the drawn lines and carve away everything else.

When you’re done, apply ink in your favorite color and press it onto paper.

If the shape prints cleanly, it’s finished.

When cutting, take your time so you don’t cut your hand—working slowly is key!

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kepiko

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Write a horse in clerical script!

@itouunpo

Clerical Script “Horse” – Ichimonji Museum by Unpo Ito, a Nitten-exhibited calligrapher and office worker-artist Unpo Ito, a Nitten-exhibited calligrapher who is also a salaried worker, explains stylish, spot-on ways to write the Five Script Styles of calligraphy (Seal, Clerical, Standard, Semi-cursive, Cursive). Welcome to the opening of the one-character art museum (Ichimonji Museum), where you can savor each completed character accompanied by guitarist Tetsuya Yamamoto’s performance. This month’s character is “馬” (horse). Origin of “馬”: A pictograph representing the form of a horse with a mane. Tips for writing “馬” in Clerical Script: Aim to express a sense of galloping speed. Turn the four dots into short diagonal strokes, and proceed briskly in one go, making full use of the resilience of the brush tip. Character of the Month: 馬 Featured Track of the Month: “The Laird of Drumblaire” from Tetsuya Yamamoto’s solo album “Museful” The calligraphy meetup writes four characters from Chinese poetry in Seal or Clerical Script. Each session is a stand-alone café workshop. We provide the calligraphy tools, so feel free to join. Whether you haven’t done calligraphy since elementary school, you currently practice and want to try Seal or Clerical Script, or you’re simply interested in writing in these styles, all are welcome. Now recruiting participants for the Seal/Clerical Script workshop “Shokai” in Nagoya, Kuwana, and online. For details, please see Unpo Ito’s website. Unpo Ito website: https://itouunpo.com/ Guitarist Tetsuya Yamamoto website: https://www.tetsuya-yamamoto.com/ Unpo Ito Nitten-exhibited artist Online calligraphy classes Five script styles HorseClerical script

♫ Original song – Umine Ito – Umine Ito

Clerical script, often used on banknotes and newspaper mastheads, can make your New Year’s card stand out when you write the character for “horse” in it—it looks really cool! The key is to evoke the feeling that, even though it’s a kanji, a horse is about to dash off, with its mane streaming in the wind.

Try boldly extending the horizontal strokes a bit longer than usual.

For the final dots, connect them to the upper parts so it feels like the horse’s legs are clip-clopping along.

By rendering it large on your New Year’s card, you’ll achieve a sophisticated piece.

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SAKI

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Make it with 100-yen store materials! Mizuhiki Horse

@hohoemiss

You can even buy it at DAISO! Let’s tie a horse—the zodiac animal for 2026, the Year of the Horse—using mizuhiki. It’s the easiest and most basic method: you can make it using only the Awaji knot. Stick it on a small gift envelope to make an otoshidama envelope! (We’ll also be selling them at Hohoemizu this year, so look forward to that.) If you make it in different colors, you might even get a unicorn! 🦄MizuhikiHandmadeLesson videoHow to make it releasedPochi-bukuro (small decorative envelope for gifting money)

24/7 – Kagura SCOPE

Let me share an idea for making a horse face using mizuhiki cords.

You’ll tie the mizuhiki yourself, but since it uses the standard awaji knot, it’s easy for beginners to try.

Prepare two cords at 23 cm and one cord at 13 cm.

Tie the two 23 cm cords with the awaji knot twice to form the horse’s face, and tie the 13 cm cord with the awaji knot once to create the mane.

Layer the two pieces and glue them together, and your horse is complete! Adding beads for the eyes could be cute, too.

Mizuhiki is known as an auspicious decoration, so try making this and incorporating it into your New Year’s card design.

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sasashina

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Cute horse brush pen illustration

@monmon_nigaoe

[Brush Pen Illustration] I tried drawing a cute horse 🐴—my son's requestSimple illustrationI tried drawing with a brush pen.Brush pen illustration

Run, Makibaō / Midori no Makibaō – Studio Megaane

Perfect for the Year of the Horse! Here are some cute horse illustrations to try.

In this idea, the horse’s distinctive nose is exaggerated—so big that it’s drawn larger than the face.

But by doing so, it brings out the horse’s charm and adds a unique touch.

Start with a rough sketch and then trace it with a brush pen, copying an illustration you like until you’re satisfied.

Adding eyelashes will give it a girly look.

Make the most of the brush pen’s qualities to finish with a lively, dynamic illustration.

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sasashina

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Great for New Year’s cards, too! Horse origami

@shinichikudo273

Year of the Horse Origami: How to Fold a HorseOrigami#fyp#foryoupage#origamitutorial#origami

♬ Original Song – Origami Crane – Origami Crane

Origami creations can be incorporated as three-dimensional designs for New Year’s cards, and their warmth will likely help convey the sender’s feelings as well.

In this idea, you start by making creases.

Using those creases, you fold it up in order to form the head and neck, legs, and tail.

Techniques like the cushion fold (zabuton-ori) and inside reverse fold appear, and because the steps are simple, even children can give it a try.

Why not use Japanese-style patterned origami that suits the New Year and make one yourself? If attaching the piece directly makes the card too thick, please attach a printed image and send that instead.

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sasashina

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