- Medium
- 30–45 minutes
- 3D shape
- about 2.4 × 2.2 in (6.0 × 5.6 cm)
This cute 3D ramen cup features bold red lettering, a smiling bowl with chopsticks, chili peppers, and a sunny egg right on the lid. Grab the free ramen paper squishy template in US Letter or A4 with 3 versions: full color, a coloring page, and a blank net. Pair your finished cup with a bento box squishy or a dumpling paper squishy for a full desk lunch!
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your chosen sheet at 100% scale on plain printer paper, making sure to turn off the “fit to page” setting. Check the scale bar at the top right: it needs to measure exactly 2 inches (or 50 mm on A4). Picked the coloring page? Grab your markers now and color in the wavy noodles, egg yolk, green onions, and red chili peppers before moving on.
2Tape the motif
Cover the entire printed ramen cup design with wide clear packing tape, making sure to include all the yellow glue tabs as well. Lay each strip down carefully and smooth it out from the center toward the edges without stretching the tape. This glossy layer gives your noodle cup its durable surface and keeps the paper from tearing when you squish it.
3Cut it out
Cut carefully along the solid black outer line of the template. Take your time curving around the top noodle lid and the bottom circle so both stay attached to the main cup wrapper by their narrow hinges. Do not cut along any of the dashed lines—those are your fold lines for building the cup.
4Pre-fold every tab
Score every dashed line with an empty pen, including the curved rows of tabs and both circle hinges. Fold every yellow tab and both round lids inward toward the blank white side once, press the crease neatly, and then open them again so they are ready for assembly.
5Snip the bottom tabs
Look at the lower curved edge of the wrapper with the bottom circle attached. Use your scissors to snip only the short solid lines between the yellow bottom tabs, stopping right up to the dashed fold line. The top tabs along the upper rim come later, so leave them uncut for now.
6Roll the wrapper
Roll the curved wrapper into a tapered tube with the smiling ramen bowl picture facing outside. Glue the long yellow side tab inside the opposite edge to hold the ring shape in place. Right away, run a strip of regular clear tape along the outside of that vertical seam along its whole length.
7Glue the bottom on
Fold all the snipped bottom tabs inward so their yellow outer sides face up toward you. Put glue on the yellow surface of those tabs. Fold the attached bottom circle—patterned with little red flower fish cakes and green onion rings—onto the sticky tabs and press it firmly into place.
8Tape the bottom
Since craft glue alone doesn’t hold on slick packing tape, you need to secure the base from the outside. Tape the bottom edge of the ramen cup all the way around with overlapping strips of regular clear tape so the bottom stays completely sealed when you squeeze it.
9Snip the top tabs
With the base of your cup closed and taped, turn to the open top rim. Now snip the short solid lines between the upper yellow glue tabs, cutting right up to the dashed fold line on either side of the top lid hinge.
10Stuff it
Stand your ramen cup up on the table and keep the round noodle lid folded back out of the way. Stuff the cup lightly through the open top using small puffs of fiberfill or plastic grocery bag pieces so the tapered sides stay smooth and round without bulging.
11Glue the lid on
Fold all the top tabs inward over the stuffing so their yellow outer sides face up. Put glue across those yellow tabs, then fold the top lid—showing the sunny egg and noodles—down onto them. Press firmly around the rim until the lid sits flat and tidy.
12Tape the lid
Just like the base, glue alone doesn’t hold on taped tabs once the cup gets squished. Tape the lid’s edge all the way around with overlapping strips of regular clear tape over the red patterned border: the tape holds the lid shut for good.
13Squish!
Done! Your ramen cup squishy is ready—squeeze the sides and watch the noodle cup puff right back up. If you want a slow-rising squishy, prick one tiny pinhole through a seam so the air escapes slowly.
Free Ramen Cup 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 4–7). Print the template at 100% on plain printer paper.
Tips for the perfect squish
- Score the curved tab lines. If the folds along the curved ramen cup rims look messy, score every dashed line with an empty pen and a ruler before you fold. This gives the top and bottom edges a clean, round crease.
- Seal open seams with tape. If the side seam or round lid pops open, remember that glue doesn’t hold on tape. Put a new strip of regular clear tape along the whole seam to lock it shut.
- Don’t overstuff the tapered walls. If the smiling ramen bowl face bulges out of shape, there is too much stuffing inside. Take some filling out before taping the lid so the tapered cup sides stay flat and neat.
- Smooth tape around curved rims. Long pieces of tape can wrinkle along the curved cup wrapper and round edges. Use shorter strips of clear tape and lay them on without pulling.
Questions
How do I use this ramen paper squishy template with a group?
Print one sheet per person on plain printer paper and cut clear tape strips in advance. Kids can color the ramen coloring page while you help with scoring the fold lines and taping the seams; plan about 45 minutes.
What is the best stuffing for a ramen noodles paper squishy?
You can use plastic grocery bags for a light, crinkly feel or fiberfill for a soft squish. Stuff the cup lightly so the tapered round shape stays neat.
Can I assemble the ramen cup using only glue?
No, glue just holds the yellow tabs in place while you build the cup. It doesn’t stick to tape-covered paper for long, so every glued seam gets a strip of clear tape from the outside.
What paper works best for folding the cup?
Plain printer paper (80–100 gsm / 20–24 lb) works best. Cardstock is hard to fold once it is covered in packing tape and makes the finished squishy stiff.
How big is the finished ramen cup, and can I make it bigger?
Printed at 100%, the finished cup measures about 2.4 × 2.2 in (6.0 × 5.6 cm). You can print the page larger on a bigger sheet of paper—since the wrapper, lid, and bottom are one piece, they always fit together.
More paper squishies to make
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