25 Fun & Easy DIY Paper Squishy Ideas You Can Try

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Get creative with these simple paper squishy designs
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Popular DIY paper squishies include cool designs like cartoonish food shapes, cute animals, and fun objects. If you’re into making your own paper squishies, we’ve got some easy template ideas for you to try! In this guide, we’re sharing a variety of DIY paper squishy ideas you can do. Plus, we give simple instructions on how to create a paper squishy in general. Read on for everything you need to know!

Examples of Cute Paper Squishy Ideas

Easy paper squishy ideas include things like a cupcake, butter stick, candy wrapper, and bag of chips. Animals, like cats, unicorns, and pandas, are also popular. You can customize your designs by drawing them yourself or choosing from online template printouts. Here’s an overview of how to make a paper squishy:

  1. Draw two copies of your desired squishy shape on paper.
  2. Color them in and cut them out.
  3. Tape the sides of the squishy, but leave 1 side open for the filling.
  4. Stuff the open side with fluffy filling, then tape it closed.
  5. Cover the entire squishy in clear packing tape.
Section 1 of 3:

Paper Squishy Ideas

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  1. 1
    Cupcake Paper Squishy A cupcake paper squishy often includes big eyes, bright-colored frosting, and a smile! Adding other details to the drawing, like sprinkles or a cherry on top, can make it even more adorable.[1]
  2. 2
    Butter Stick Paper Squishy Butter paper squishies happen to be one of the most viral options you can make. Most of the time, they look like the classic yellow sticks of butter sold at grocery stores, but you can get creative by doing different flavored butters, like chocolate, strawberry, and blueberry![2]
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  3. 3
    Candy Wrapper Paper Squishy If you’ve got a sweet tooth, try out a candy wrapper template for your paper squishy. Some popular options include KitKats, Skittles, Jolly Ranchers, or M&M’s. Pick your favorite sweet treat, and go with that![3]
  4. 4
    Bag of Chips Paper Squishy Snacks, like potato chip bags, make awesome paper squishies. From Doritos to Lay’s, there are so many to choose from. Just grab whatever bag you have at home, and use it to create your template![4]
  5. 5
    Jellycat Paper Squishy Fans of Jellycats love making paper squishies inspired by them. Why not create a paper squishy version of your favorite plush toy? A few choices include a Jellycat bunny, the Amuseables Peanut, or a Jellycat bear.
  6. 6
    Emoji Paper Squishy There are several types of emoji paper squishes you can make. They’re expressive and fun to look at, and they also make cute decor for your desk at home or school! Try a winky face emoji, a heart eyes emoji, or the classic smiley face emoji.[5]
  7. 7
    Cat Paper Squishy An easy cat paper squishy can include a large oval body, a pair of cat ears, whiskers, and cute details for the face. You can add other things, like a tummy cutout, to make your squishy even cuter.[6]
  8. 8
    Panda Paper Squishy A panda paper squishy is another design that consists of simple shapes and details. It usually consists of a plump, oval shape for the body with ears, arms, and a face added. [7]
  9. 9
    Unicorn Paper Squishy If you love magical creatures, a unicorn is the perfect paper squishy to create. Many designs and templates just feature the head of the unicorn with bright-colored hair and a colorful horn.[8]
  10. 10
    3D Cake Slice Paper Squishy A 3D version of a cake slice can make your paper squishy more fun to squeeze and play with. Plus, it looks really cool! The design usually includes cake layers, frosting, and cute face details on top of the slice.[9]
  11. 11
    Boba Paper Squishy Boba is fun to enjoy as a beverage and as a paper squishy! Steps typically include drawing a tall cup, adding several black dots for the boba, and making a paper straw. You can make boba paper squishies in different colors, like red, blue, and yellow.[10]
  12. 12
    Pop-Tart Paper Squishy Pop-Tart paper squishy designs look just like the Pop-Tarts packaging. When drawing this design, use the Pop-Tarts packaging for reference as you sketch. Don’t forget to choose which flavor you want to go with, like strawberry or brown sugar.[11]
  13. 13
    Watermelon Paper Squishy There are different ways to make a watermelon paper squishy. You can go with a traditional watermelon shape, but if that’s too hard, create a circular watermelon instead. The way you color in the design can make it look like a watermelon, like using green for the edge and red with black seeds for the interior.[12]
  14. 14
    Hello Kitty Paper Squishy A Hello Kitty paper squishy recreates the iconic Sanrio logo. The drawing consists of a circle for the head, a pair of ears and eyes, a few whiskers, a yellow dot for the nose, and the pink bow.[13]
  15. 15
    Heart Paper Squishy This paper squishy drawing can be a simple red heart or a concentric heart, which is a big heart that includes a few smaller hearts inside it. It’s a fun way to give your paper squishy dimension and play with shading.[14]
  16. 16
    Cheese Paper Squishy The cheese paper squishy resembles a cube of cheese. It uses 4 pieces of yellow construction paper to make a box. After you assemble the paper squishy, take a light-colored marker to draw dots to be the holes in the cheese.[15]
  17. 17
    Strawberry Paper Squishy Draw a strawberry to get this fruit-inspired paper squishy started. The design includes fun details—like huge eyes and a tiny smile—to make the squishy even more lovable and squeezable.[16]
  18. 18
    Oreo Paper Squishy Oreos are some of the most popular cookies, making them a great choice when you’re looking for paper squishy ideas. While you can do a classic Oreo cookie design, other people get creative by adding small cartoon faces in the frosting layer.[17]
  19. 19
    French Fries Paper Squishy French fries paper squishies usually include a red container and several yellow fries drawn inside. Make your design more interesting by coloring the fries different shades of yellow and adding cool details on the container.
  20. 20
    Game Boy Paper Squishy This idea is for all you gamers out there! Sketch the outline of a handheld Game Boy, adding features like the screen, buttons, and a game selection on the screen. Coloring in the drawing with vibrant colors can make your Game Boy paper squishy pop.[18]
  21. 21
    3D Pizza Slice Paper Squishy A pizza slice paper squishy consists of a triangle with all the delicious toppings. By that, we mean adding the crust, pepperoni, and other details that’ll make your squishy look super tasty![19]
  22. 22
    Cow Paper Squishy If you want to make a farm of paper squishies, start with a cow. A simple design typically includes a rounded oval shape for the head and body, along with a couple of horns and ears, bubbly eyes, and a pink snout. Draw black spots on your cow as a finishing touch.[20]
  23. 23
    Hamburger Paper Squishy A simple way to make this paper squishy design is by drawing a classic burger with two buns, a meat patty, a cheese slice, and some lettuce poking out. From there, you can change it up by making it a double or adding pickles and tomato.
  24. 24
    Avocado Paper Squishy Avocados are some of the cutest and easiest paper squishy designs to draw. Drawings usually show one half of a sliced avocado. Use different shades of green for the interior, create an adorable face, and add the big, brown seed in the center.[21]
  25. 25
    iPhone Paper Squishy Electronic devices make great paper squishies, and the iPhone is a simple one you can try. It basically consists of two rectangles, one for the front of the phone and one for the back. Draw a black screen on one rectangle. On the other rectangle, draw the backside of an iPhone. Things like the Apple logo and the camera lenses in the upper corner can make your paper squishy design look even cooler![22]
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Section 2 of 3:

Making a DIY Paper Squishy

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  1. 1
    Draw two copies of your desired shape on paper. Make them as identical as possible, so both the front and back sides of the paper squishy match. If you prefer not to draw your squishy designs by hand, there are plenty of free online printables to choose from.[23]
  2. 2
    Color the designs, and cut them out. Color your drawings or templates with markers, colored pencils, or crayons. Get as creative as you want with the details. Grab your scissors to cut both shapes, carefully following the outline of the figures.
    • To make sure both designs are cut evenly, bring the two pieces together, line them up, and cut them at the same time.
  3. 3
    Tape 3 sides of the squishy, but leave one side open. Bring the front and back sides of your cutouts together, and align them so they’re even. Tape 3 of the sides. The number of sides may vary, depending on your design or template, but you always want to leave one side open for the filling.
  4. 4
    Stuff the shape with filling. You can use things like cotton balls, toy stuffing, paper shreds, synthetic polyfill, or small plastic grocery bags. Fill your squishy, but don’t overstuff it. Overstuffing it can make your design too tight and less squishy.
  5. 5
    Tape the final side to close it, then cover the squishy in tape. Once you’re done inserting the stuffing, tape the open side of your design to close up the stuffing inside. Next, go over your whole squishy with clear packing tape to make it more durable and squishable. Your paper squishy is now ready to be enjoyed and squeezed!
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Section 3 of 3:

Learn More About Squishies

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  1. Are you really into squishies? We have other handy articles that can help you get creative with your designs and give you tips on squishy damage control. Check out these fun guides:

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Things You'll Need

  • 2 pieces of construction paper
  • Coloring supplies, like markers, colored pencils, or crayons
  • Clear tape
  • Scissors
  • Stuffing, like cotton balls, toy stuffing, plastic bags
  • Glue (optional)

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References

  1. ↑ https://www.squishyguide.com/en/templates/cupcake-paper-squishy/
  2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS3vs-AL8Es&t=113s
  3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCAVcEvG2vE&t=12s
  4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vmz28Z-CzXI
  5. ↑ https://www.redtedart.com/how-to-make-paper-squishies-emoji/
  6. ↑ https://craftsyhacks.com/paper-squishies/
  7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC6ZCPbsSmw
  8. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmfKfGBmczw
  9. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCNgf6-7xjg
  1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVQFT5_jhs8&list=PLtLTUUIO3aCI_Cp3sBuM5IDBvAVd-axNR&index=3
  2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMJGJlltEfo&list=PLtLTUUIO3aCI_Cp3sBuM5IDBvAVd-axNR&index=6
  3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VAlFseKxFw&list=PLtLTUUIO3aCI_Cp3sBuM5IDBvAVd-axNR&index=8
  4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFRlwqM_ygs
  5. ↑ https://www.wheatonarts.org/paper-squishy/
  6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3o8BV6FGO4
  7. ↑ https://natashalh.com/diy-paper-squishy-strawberry/
  8. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajlqrbxmhjU
  9. ↑ https://www.tiktok.com/@diyandpapersquishy_67/video/7643173070756154638
  10. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APrp7kaA6Ec&list=PLtLTUUIO3aCI_Cp3sBuM5IDBvAVd-axNR&index=9
  11. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rHKf2uVM1nU
  12. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHfLAhYO8KE
  13. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hX1jMAGfk2k
  14. ↑ https://artwithjennyk.com/project/how-to-make-a-paper-squishy/

About This Article

Jennifer Vasquez, BA, MA
Co-authored by:
Jennifer Vasquez, BA, MA
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Vasquez, BA, MA. Jennifer earned her B.A. in English and Music at the University of La Verne and her M.A. in English at CSU Long Beach. She's written for a variety of lifestyle and entertainment publications. She's also a major Halloween and horror enthusiast and launched her own blog dedicated to all things spooky. She’s continuously looking for ways to upgrade her writing skills and holds certifications in SEO, email marketing, and UX writing.
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Co-authors: 5
Updated: August 30, 2026
Categories: Paper Craft
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