How to Make Squishies

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Co-authored by Bryce Morris

Last Updated: August 28, 2026

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Shaping the Squishy

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Adding the Design

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Tips

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Warnings

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Things You'll Need

Squishies have become very popular recently, and many people collect them. They are cute little toys made of memory foam, and while they don't tend to cost much on their own, starting a whole squish-collection may be expensive. By doing it yourself, you not only save money, but can also customize and add personal touches during the DIY process. In this example we will be using a star, but this method works for any kind of squishy!

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Shaping the Squishy

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1
Buy some memory foam. If you can't find any, or if it is too expensive, you can also buy a memory foam pillow. However, know that if you buy a memory foam pillow, you will have to deal with the little holes in the memory foam that let you breathe.
- If you bought a memory foam pillow as your source of memory foam, remove the pillowcase and cut off the rest of the layers until you reach memory foam. Be careful not to cut the memory foam when doing this.
- Squishy & Needoh expert Bryce Morris tells us that commercial squishies are primarily made out of maltose and coconut oil.^{[1]
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Use scissors to cut a piece the size you desire your squishy to be. Make sure you are using sharp scissors and not dull ones because it can be difficult to cut through pieces of memory foam.

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3
Make a rough outline of your squishy. For example, if you are making a star, you would want to cut out some big triangle-shaped chunks of foam until it more or less looks like an uneven star shape.
- Remember that it doesn't have to be perfect, but you should at least have some idea of the shape of your squishy.
- Don't make any details yet. It should look rough and uneven.
4
Refine the squishy's shape. Use your scissors to carefully snip parts off of the memory foam piece to create the exact shape you'd like for your squishy. For the star example, you would take the time to make sure it is all even smoother and that the points are all more or less perfect triangles.
- This step may take longer if you are making a complex shape.
- Do not rush this part, or you may accidentally snip off too much. Remember, you can always snip off a bit more, but you can't put anything back.
5
Smooth out any extra bumps and angles. This step is optional, but if you want your squishy to be extra smooth with nice, even rounded edges, check its shape and smooth out the rough edges. For example, with the star squishy, you could smooth out all the edges on the points.
- You don't have to smoothen any curves or angles, but it does help to make it look much more squishy and soft.
- Remember that when smoothing out curves, the more little cuts you give it, the nicer it will look.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Adding the Design

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Two ways you can color your squishy are painting and using felt markers. If you are using paint, mix any colors you will need together beforehand to make it easier when painting your squishy. You should also set up a bunch of paintbrushes and some water to switch colors. If you're using felt markers, have your desired colors handy.
2
Paint your squishy using acrylic paint. If you are making a specific object, you can either paint it like the object is in real life, like painting a star yellow or white, or make it abstract, like painting the star rainbow.
- Paint the squishy in any way you'd like. You can add patterns, solid colors, or designs.
Note that felt markers will not color very evenly, but they are still useable. It is recommended that you use these for small details, like smiley faces, sprinkles, etc., instead of for coloring in a large area of space.
Outline the eyes, draw on a little mouth, or do anything you'd like to make your squishy look as detailed as possible. Feel free to use materials such as Sharpies or felt markers to do so.
5
Play with your squishy. You can now share it with your friends, keep it for yourself, or give it as a gift. No matter what you choose to do with it, this cute little squishy is sure to put a smile on your face.
1. And if the steps above have been helpful, be sure to download this article as a PDF so you can print, read, or reference it any time.

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Tips

When cutting the chunk of memory foam, make it a little bigger than how big you want your squishy to be. For example, you don't want to end up with not enough space for a tail on your dog squishy or a petal on a flower squishy.

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If you can't buy memory foam, buy a memory foam pillow, then rip it apart to get the memory foam out.

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Cover your workspace when painting the squishy. You don't want paint all over where you are working.

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