- Easy
- 20–30 minutes
- No glue
- about 3.5 × 4.1 in (8.9 × 10.4 cm)
Filled to the brim with pastel gumballs, striped bonbons, and a sweet kawaii smile under a mint-green lid, this chubby candy jar is a treat to squeeze. Download our free printable candy paper squishy template in US Letter or A4—it comes with 3 versions: full color, a coloring page, and a blank outline. Pair it with a gumball machine squishy or a swirl lollipop squishy to build your own paper candy shop!
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your candy jar sheet at 100% scale on plain printer paper (make sure “fit to page” is turned off). Check the test line in the top corner: it should measure exactly 2 inches (50 mm on A4). If you picked the coloring page, color the mint lid and all the striped sweets inside now, then let any marker ink dry completely.
2Tape the pieces
Lay strips of wide clear packing tape over just the two jar pieces—no need to cover the whole page. Smooth each strip from the middle of the candy pile out toward the edges without pulling, because stretched tape will wrinkle later. This glossy coat makes your glass jar shiny, strong, and extra squishy.
3Cut out both pieces
Cut out the front and back jars right along the solid outer line, keeping the narrow white border all the way around. Take your time curving around the round knob on the lid and the little dip at the neck of the jar so both cutouts match up neatly.
4Add a tape border to the back
Place the back jar printed side down onto strips of regular clear tape, sticky side facing up. Trim 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. These little flaps will hug the curved sides of the jar together.
5Join front and back
Stack the front piece on top of the back piece with the white sides together, lining up the lid knob and the rounded bottom. Fold the sticky flaps over the front edge one by one and press them down firmly. Leave a 3.5 cm (1½ in) gap open along the jar edge (the pink line in the picture shows where) for the stuffing.
6Stuff it
Tear your plastic bags, cotton, or fiberfill into small pieces and push them in through the gap. Tuck the first bits all the way up into the mint lid and the round knob on top, then fill the wide belly of the jar until it feels soft and puffy—don’t overpack it or the seams might pop.
7Close the gap
Fold the last tape flaps over the stuffed edge and tape the gap shut with an extra strip of clear tape. Run your finger firmly along the entire jar outline, especially in the dip below the lid, to press the tape down well.
8Squish!
Done! Your sweet candy jar is ready—give the colorful belly a good squeeze and watch it puff right back up. Want a slow-rising squishy? Prick one tiny pinhole in the back of the jar so the air escapes gently.
Free Candy Jar 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
- If the jar feels too hard. Stuffing the wide belly too tightly makes the candy jar feel stiff and puts strain on the curved lid seams. Simply open the gap, pull a little filling out, and tape it shut again.
- Splitting seams around the neck. Where the mint lid meets the round glass belly, the outline curves inward and the seam takes extra pressure when squeezed. If an edge splits open there, press a new short strip of tape across the edge, overlapping the old ones.
- Glass-jar shine without wrinkles. Clear packing tape gives the candy jar a glossy glass look, so use shorter strips and lay them gently across the sweets without pulling. Stretched tape will ripple and wrinkle once you cut the shape out.
- No smudged candy stripes. When coloring the little wrapped bonbons and gumballs with markers, let the ink dry completely before taping so the bright colors don’t smear. Printer ink on the color version is fine to tape right away.
Questions
What paper works best for a candy paper squishy?
Plain printer paper (80–100 gsm / 20–24 lb) works best because it folds softly around the round jar shape. Cardstock makes the squishy stiff and it won’t squish as nicely.
Can I use glue instead of tape to seal the candy jar?
Not for the edges. Glue doesn’t stick to tape-covered paper, so the curved jar seams would open right up—the snipped tape border folded over the edge holds best.
What can I stuff my printable candy squishy with?
You can use plastic grocery bags for a crinkly and light feel, or cotton balls and fiberfill to make it soft. Small pieces of memory foam also work great for a slow-rising squishy.
Can I print this candy paper squishy template bigger?
Yes! The finished candy jar is about 3.5 × 4.1 in (8.9 × 10.4 cm) at 100%, or you can print the page at a larger scale like 120% as long as you print the front and the back together on the same sheet so they match.
Is this a good paper squishy candy craft for a class or group?
Yes! Print 1 sheet per person and cut the tape strips in advance so kids can color the coloring page while you help with taping; plan about 30 minutes.
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