- Medium
- 30–45 minutes
- 3D shape
- about 2.4 × 3.3 in (6.0 × 8.5 cm)
Brighten up your craft desk with a mini Fruit Rings box featuring a smiling kawaii bowl, rainbow loops, happy fruit friends, and a cute “Squish Facts” back panel. This free printable cereal paper squishy comes in US Letter and A4 sizes with 3 versions: full color, a coloring page, and a blank net for custom designs. Pair it with our milk carton paper squishy for the ultimate breakfast set.
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your Fruit Rings cereal box at 100% on plain printer paper—make sure “fit to page” is turned off. Check the scale bar in the top corner to see that it measures exactly 2 inches (50 mm on A4). If you picked the coloring page or blank version, grab your brightest rainbow markers to color the cereal loops, fruit faces, and bubble letters right now before adding any tape.
2Tape the motif
Lay strips of wide clear packing tape across the entire printed cereal box net, making sure to cover all the yellow and blue tabs too. Smooth each strip outward from the center so bubbles don’t trap over the smiling bowl or the “Squish Facts” panel on the back, and avoid stretching the tape as you lay it down.
3Cut it out
Use your scissors to cut neatly along the solid black outer line of the cereal box net. Be careful to keep all the yellow glue tabs and blue tape tabs attached as you work your way around the corners. Leave all the interior dashed lines uncut—those are your fold lines for building the 3D box.
4Pre-fold every tab
Line up your ruler along each dashed line and score firmly with an empty pen, including the long side edges of the cereal box and every tab. Fold each line and tab inward toward the blank white side once, then unfold it flat again. Taped paper is stiff, so pre-creasing now gives your cereal box crisp, boxy corners later.
5Make the walls
Fold the main panels into a rectangular ring with the colorful Fruit Rings artwork facing out. Put a dab of glue on the yellow side tab next to the side panel, press it inside to hold the loop together, and then run a strip of regular clear tape along the outside seam for its whole length.
6Close the bottom
Swipe glue onto the 3 yellow tabs at the bottom of the net. Fold the yellow heart-patterned bottom flap inward and press it firmly against the glued tabs from the inside so the base of your cereal box sits flat. Leave the top pink cereal flap with the blue tabs open for filling.
7Tape the bottom
Since glue alone won’t stick to slick tape for long, reinforce the base right away. Place strips of regular clear tape around every bottom edge from the outside, running all along each seam so the yellow heart bottom stays securely shut when you squeeze the box.
8Stuff it
Push small, loose scrunches of plastic bag or tiny tufts of fiberfill down through the open top of the cereal box. Reach into the bottom corners first, then fill up to the top. Stuff it lightly so the front bowl artwork and back panel stay flat and rectangular instead of puffing out like a pillow.
9Close it
Tuck the 3 blue tabs inward at the top and fold the pink cereal-ring lid down over them. Hold the lid snug and seal every top edge from the outside with regular clear tape, covering the full length of each seam so no stuffing can peek out.
10Squish!
Your 3D Fruit Rings cereal box is ready! Give the front panel a good squeeze and watch the box puff right back into shape. If you want a slower, more satisfying rise when you squish it, prick one tiny pinhole along a seam so air can escape.
Free Fruit Rings Cereal Squishy Template
- Color
- Coloring page
- Blank, design your own
- Step-by-step guide
One free PDF: the template in three versions (pages 1–3) and the step-by-step guide (pages 4–6). Print the template at 100% on plain printer paper.
Tips for the perfect squish
- Crooked cereal box corners. If the tall vertical edges of your box look rounded instead of crisp, score the dashed lines firmly with a ruler and an empty pen before folding.
- Side or bottom seam opens. Glue won’t hold on laminated surfaces by itself, so press the flap back down and run a fresh strip of clear tape along the entire outside edge.
- Front panel puffs out round. A cereal box looks best with flat front and back faces, so pull out a little stuffing before taping the lid if the middle starts bulging.
- Wrinkles over the front artwork. Use shorter strips of wide packing tape and lay them down gently from the center outward without pulling so the rainbow letters stay smooth.
Questions
How do you make a 3D paper squishy cereal box stay rectangular?
Score all the dashed fold lines with a ruler and an empty pen before folding, and stuff the inside lightly. Loose stuffing lets the narrow side panels and wide front stay flat instead of rounding out.
What are some fun cereal paper squishy ideas for a set?
You can color the blank version in pastel or neon shades to invent your own breakfast box, or craft a whole morning pantry by adding our marshmallow cereal squishy next to this one.
Can I use only glue to assemble the box?
No. Glue only holds the yellow tabs in place while you fold the walls and bottom. Because glue doesn’t bond to tape-covered paper for long, every seam needs clear tape on the outside.
What paper works best for printing this template?
Standard plain printer paper (80–100 gsm / 20–24 lb) is ideal. Heavy cardstock becomes too stiff once covered in packing tape and won’t squish nicely.
Can I make these cereal boxes with a group or class?
Yes! Print one sheet per person and cut strips of clear tape in advance. Kids can color the coloring page while you help with scoring and taping—plan about 45 minutes total.
More paper squishies to make
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