- Easy
- 20–30 minutes
- No glue
- about 3.0 × 4.5 in (7.7 × 11.4 cm)
Cool off with a cute kawaii popsicle paper squishy! This fruity ice pop features a drippy strawberry top, a cheerful orange middle with rosy cheeks and a tiny heart, a sunny lemon bottom, and a little wooden stick. Our free PDF download comes in US Letter and A4 sizes and includes 3 versions: full color, a black-and-white coloring page, and a blank outline for your own flavor ideas. Pair it with our ice cream cone squishy for the sweetest summer craft!
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your popsicle template at 100% scale on plain printer paper—make sure to turn off “fit to page” in your settings. Check the scale line in the top corner; it should measure exactly 2 inches (50 mm on A4) so your finished ice pop is about 3.0 × 4.5 in (7.7 × 11.4 cm). If you picked the coloring page, color your fruity layers and wooden stick now and let the marker ink dry completely.
2Tape the pieces
Cover only the 2 popsicle pieces with strips of wide clear packing tape—no need to tape the whole sheet. Lay each strip down gently and smooth it from the center of the ice pop out toward the edges without stretching it, since stretched tape wrinkles later. This glossy coat makes your paper strong, shiny, and extra squishy.
3Cut out both pieces
Use your scissors to cut out the front and back pieces right along the solid outer black line. Take your time around the rounded top dome and the inward corners where the fruity pop meets the wooden stick. Be sure to keep the small white border intact all the way around both pieces.
4Add a tape border to the back
Lay the back piece printed side down on strips of regular clear tape, sticky side facing up. Cut the tape about 1 cm (½ inch) past the paper edge, then snip into this tape border every 2 cm (1 inch) right up to the paper, paying extra attention to the curves around the stick so the little flaps fold smoothly to hold your squishy together.
5Join front and back
Put the front piece right on top of the back piece with the white sides together, lining up the stick and the rounded top. Fold the sticky tape flaps over the front edge one by one and press them down firmly. Leave a small gap open (the pink line in the picture shows where)—that is your gap for the stuffing.
6Stuff it
Tear your plastic bags, cotton, or fiberfill into small, fluffy pieces and push them in through the open gap. Fill the far corners first—tucking a pinch down into the narrow wooden stick and the rounded strawberry top—and stop once your popsicle feels soft and puffy. Packing in too much stuffing makes the taped seams pop.
7Close the gap
Fold the last tape flaps over the open gap and tape it shut with an extra strip of regular clear tape. Run your finger firmly along all the edges—especially in the little dips next to the stick—to press the tape down well.
8Squish!
Done! Give your fruity popsicle paper squishy a good squeeze and watch it puff right back up. Want a slow-rising squishy? Gently prick one tiny pinhole into the back of the ice pop so the air escapes slowly.
Free Popsicle 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 4–5). Print the template at 100% on plain printer paper.
Tips for the perfect squish
- My popsicle squishy feels hard. It has too much stuffing packed inside the fruity body. Open the gap, take some stuffing out, and tape it shut again.
- An edge near the stick splits. The inward angles where the yellow lemon layer meets the wooden stick take the most pressure. Put a new short strip of clear tape across the split edge, overlapping the old ones.
- The glossy tape wrinkles. Use shorter strips of tape when covering the rounded top dome and lay them on without pulling. Gently smoothing from the center outward keeps the surface flat.
- Bright fruit colors smeared. Let vibrant pink, orange, and yellow markers dry fully before taping the pieces. Standard printer ink is fine to tape right away.
Questions
Can I use this as an ice cream paper squishy template?
Yes! This fruity ice pop fits right into a frozen treat collection, or you can color the blank outline to make your own paper squishy ice cream bar. Pair it with our ice cream sandwich squishy to build a whole summer stand.
Can I make this popsicle squishy bigger?
Yes, just print the template page at a larger scale, such as 120%. Make sure to print both the front and the back together on the same sheet so the two halves match.
Can I use glue instead of tape to seal the edges?
Not for the edges, because glue does not stick to tape-covered paper and the seams would open up. The snipped tape border folded over the edge holds best.
What paper and stuffing work best for paper squishies?
Plain printer paper (80–100 gsm / 20–24 lb) works best, since cardstock makes the squishy too stiff to squish nicely. You can stuff it with plastic grocery bags for a crinkly feel, cotton balls or fiberfill for softness, or small pieces of memory foam for a slow-rising squishy.
Can I make these with a class or a party group?
Yes! Print 1 sheet per person and cut the tape strips in advance. Kids can color the coloring page while you help with the taping—plan about 30 minutes for the activity.
More paper squishies to make
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