- Medium
- 30–45 minutes
- 3D shape
- about 1.8 × 3.6 in (4.6 × 9.2 cm)
This sunny yellow banana milk paper squishy looks good enough to sip, complete with a smiling peeled banana, floating fruit slices, pink hearts, and a cheeky Squish Facts panel on the back. You get a free printable template in US Letter and A4 with 3 versions: full color, a coloring page, and a blank net. Pair it with a strawberry milk squishy and a chocolate milk squishy to build a whole kawaii dairy bar.
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your banana milk carton net at 100% on plain printer paper, making sure to turn off the fit to page setting. Check the scale bar in the top corner: it needs to measure 2 inches on US Letter or 50 mm on A4. If you picked the coloring page version, grab your sunny yellow and soft pink markers to color the peeled banana character, fruit slices, and milk splashes right now.
2Tape the motif
Lay wide clear packing tape across the entire printed banana milk design, making sure you cover all the yellow and blue tabs too. Press each strip down from the center outward so no air bubbles hide over the cute banana face or the Squish Facts label. Keep the tape relaxed and do not stretch it as you go, or the paper will curl up when you cut it.
3Cut it out
Take your scissors and cut carefully along the solid black outer border of the carton net. Keep every yellow glue tab, the top roof fins, and the blue bottom tabs attached to the main piece. Take your time around the pointed gable peaks and the angled corners of the tabs, and be careful not to snip into any of the inner dashed fold lines.
4Pre-fold every tab
Place your ruler along every dashed line and trace over it firmly with an empty pen to score the paper. Pay special attention to the horizontal crease lines across the roof and under the top fins. Fold every tab and scored crease inward toward the blank white back once, then unfold it again, because laminated paper is much tougher to crease once assembled.
5Make the walls
Curl the main wall panels into a boxy ring so the smiling banana illustration and yellow fruit pattern face outside. Put a dab of glue on the yellow tab along the right edge and press it inside the opposite wall to hold the ring closed. Right away, run a strip of regular clear tape along the outside of that vertical seam from top to bottom.
6Build the roof
Fold both banana-printed roof sides inward and glue their yellow tabs inside the pointed triangular gables. Put glue on the insides of the two top rectangular fins and press them flat back to back to form the carton ridge. Seal a strip of clear tape right along that top ridge, leaving the bottom of the carton open for filling.
7Tape the roof
Because craft glue will slip right off the slick laminated surface on its own, you need to reinforce the whole gable top. Place strips of regular clear tape over every roof edge from the outside, covering the full length of each seam. Smooth the tape down firmly so the pointed milk carton top keeps its crisp boxy shape.
8Stuff it
Flip your banana milk carton upside down and push small tufts of fiberfill or crumpled plastic bag pieces through the open bottom. Tuck the filling gently into the corners so the smiling banana front and the Squish Facts back puff out evenly. Stop stuffing once you reach the top of the straight walls, leaving the slanted gable roof empty so it stays neat.
9Close it
Fold the blue tabs inward over the stuffing and swing the square banana-slice bottom flap down like a lid. Hold the flap shut while you secure every bottom edge from the outside along its full length using strips of regular clear tape. Make sure every seam is completely covered so none of the filling can pop out when you squeeze it.
10Squish!
Your 3D banana milk paper squishy is ready to play with! Give the middle of the carton a good squeeze and watch the yellow walls puff right back into shape. If the air is completely sealed inside and you want a smoother, slow-rising squish, prick one tiny pinhole under the roof ridge or on a bottom corner.
Free Banana Milk 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
- Gable roof caves in. Score the horizontal dashed lines around the roof and top fins firmly before folding, and stop your stuffing right below the roof line so the filling does not push the slanted top out of shape.
- Top ridge pops apart. Glue only holds the two top carton fins together temporarily while you work. Seal a strip of regular clear tape directly along the top ridge from the outside.
- Carton walls bulge out. If the flat yellow sides look round like a ball instead of a milk box, pull a little stuffing out so the walls stay flat.
- Tape wrinkles on the face. Use shorter strips of wide packing tape and smooth them across the banana face from the center outward without stretching.
Questions
How do you make a 3D milk paper squishy keep its carton shape?
Score every dashed line with a ruler and an empty pen before folding so the box edges crease sharply. Stuff only the lower walls up to the roof line and leave the slanted top empty so the gable carton stays crisp.
Can I build this milk carton paper squishy with glue only?
No, glue is only there to tack the yellow tabs in place while your hands are busy folding. Glue cannot stick to slick tape for long, so every glued seam and roof edge must be sealed from the outside with clear tape.
What paper works best for a milk paper squishy template?
Standard plain printer paper (80–100 gsm / 20–24 lb) is ideal. Heavy cardstock becomes way too stiff once covered in packing tape and makes the small roof tabs hard to fold cleanly.
What should I stuff my paper squishy milk carton with?
Use plastic grocery bags for a light, crinkly squish or fiberfill for a plush, bouncy feel. Stuff the carton lightly so the flat yellow walls do not bulge out of shape.
Can I make these with a group or classroom?
Yes! Print one sheet per person and cut tape strips in advance to save time. Plan about 45 minutes so kids can color the coloring page while you help with scoring and taping the gable roof.
More paper squishies to make
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