- Easy
- 20–30 minutes
- No glue
- about 4.1 × 3.7 in (10.4 × 9.5 cm)
With its soft dough pleats on top, dark round ears, and starry panda eyes, this panda bun paper squishy looks fresh out of a kawaii steamer. Our free printable PDF gives you 3 versions to craft with: a full-color design, a coloring page, and a blank outline in both US Letter and A4 sizes. Print a sheet and pair your finished bun with a dim sum basket squishy or a classic bao bun squishy for a whole play food feast!
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your panda bun sheet at 100% scale on plain printer paper, making sure to turn off the “fit to page” setting. Check that the scale line in the top corner measures exactly 2 inches (50 mm on A4). If you chose the coloring page, color the dark ear patches, eye spots, and rosy cheeks now, then let any marker ink dry completely.
2Tape the pieces
Cover only the two bun shapes with strips of wide clear packing tape, leaving the rest of the paper sheet bare. Smooth each piece of tape from the middle of the panda face outward toward the ears without pulling—stretched tape tends to wrinkle later. This glossy coat makes your paper strong, shiny, and extra squishy.
3Cut out both pieces
Cut out the front and back pieces right along the solid black outer line. Take your time curving around the two panda ears and the wavy dough pleats at the top so you keep the narrow white border intact all the way around.
4Add a tape border to the back
Place the back piece printed side down onto strips of regular clear tape with the sticky side facing up. Trim the tape about 1 cm (½ inch) past the paper edge, then snip into this sticky border every 2 cm (1 inch) right up to the paper. Those small flaps will fold smoothly around the curved ears and cheeks to hold your squishy together.
5Join front and back
Line up the front piece on top of the back piece with the white sides facing each other, matching the ears and top pleats. Fold the sticky flaps over the front edge one at a time and press them down firmly. Leave a 4 cm (1½ inch) gap open along the smooth bottom curve (the pink line in the picture shows where) for stuffing.
6Stuff it
Tear your plastic bags, cotton, or fiberfill into small bits and push them inside through the bottom gap. Poke the first pieces up into the two panda ears and the pleated top first, then fill the round cheeks until the bun feels soft and puffy—stop before it gets too tight so the seams don’t pop.
7Close the gap
Fold the remaining tape flaps over the bottom edge and tape the gap shut with an extra strip of clear tape. Run your finger firmly along all edges, pressing down the curves around the ears and cheeks so the tape holds well.
8Squish!
Done! Give your chubby panda bun a gentle squeeze and watch its round cheeks puff right back up. Want a slow-rising squishy? Prick one tiny pinhole in the back of the bun.
Free Panda Bun 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
- The bun feels too hard. It has too much stuffing packed inside. Open the bottom gap, pull a little stuffing out, and tape the edge shut again.
- Tape wrinkles over the face. Use shorter tape strips across the wide panda cheeks and lay them on without pulling or stretching.
- An edge splits near the ear. The dip between the panda ear and the top pleat can pull tight; put a new short strip of tape right across the edge, overlapping the old ones.
- Dark panda patches smeared. Let markers on the dark ears and eye spots dry fully before taping. Printer ink is fine right away.
Questions
What paper works best for making this panda bun squishy?
Plain printer paper (80–100 gsm / 20–24 lb) folds smoothly around the round bun curves and squishes best. Cardstock makes the squishy too stiff and it won’t squish as nicely.
Can I use glue instead of tape for my paper squishy?
Not for the edges. Glue doesn’t stick to tape-covered paper, so the seams would open when squeezed. The snipped tape border folded over the edge holds best.
What can I stuff a paper squishy bun with?
You can use plastic grocery bags for a crinkly and light feel, or cotton balls and fiberfill for a soft pillow. Small pieces of memory foam also work great for a slow-rising squishy.
Can I print the panda bun paper squishy template bigger?
Yes! Print the page at a larger scale, for example 120%, to get a bigger version than the standard 4.1 × 3.7 in (10.4 × 9.5 cm) bun. Make sure to print the front and the back together on the same sheet so they match.
Can I make these paper squishies with a class or group?
Yes, just print one sheet per person and cut the tape strips in advance. Kids can color the panda bun coloring page while you help with taping, and you should plan about 30 minutes.
More paper squishies to make
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