- Easy
- 20–30 minutes
- No glue
- about 3.4 × 4.5 in (8.6 × 11.4 cm)
This cute smartwatch paper squishy turns your favorite wrist gadget into a puffy pillow with coral pink bands, a silver case, a starry-eyed kawaii screen, and a detailed sensor on the back. Your free printable PDF comes in US Letter and A4 with 3 versions: full color, a coloring page, and a blank template for custom watch faces. Pair it with our earbuds case squishy or smartphone paper squishy for a whole desk set!
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your smartwatch template at 100% scale on plain printer paper with “fit to page” turned off. Check the scale line in the top corner—it should measure exactly 2 inches (50 mm on A4). If you picked the coloring page or blank version to draw your own app icons and color the straps, do all your coloring now and let marker ink dry completely.
2Tape the pieces
Lay strips of wide clear packing tape over the two watch pieces, leaving the rest of the sheet bare. Smooth each strip down from the center outward without pulling or stretching so the dark screen stays wrinkle-free. This tape layer gives your smartwatch a shiny glass look, makes it strong, and keeps it extra squishy.
3Cut out both pieces
Cut out the front watch face and the back sensor piece right along the solid black outer line. Keep the small white border all the way around. Take your time curving around the top and bottom watch bands, the corners of the silver case, and the little side button bump so both halves match up neatly.
4Add a tape border to the back
Lay the back watch piece printed side down on strips of regular clear tape with the sticky side facing up. Cut the tape about 1 cm (½ inch) past the paper edge all around. Snip into this border every 2 cm (1 inch) right up to the paper, following the curved straps and side button, so the little flaps will hold your squishy together.
5Join front and back
Place the front watch piece on the back piece, white sides together, lining up the straps and side button. Fold the tape flaps over the edge of the front one by one and press them down. Leave a 3.5 cm (1½ in) gap open along one side (the pink line in the picture shows where) as your gap for the stuffing.
6Stuff it
Tear plastic bags, cotton, or fiberfill into small pieces and push them in through the side gap. Fill the far corners of the top and bottom coral watch bands first so they puff up nicely, then fill the center screen area. Stop when the watch feels soft and puffy—too much stuffing makes the seams pop.
7Close the gap
Fold the last tape flaps over the gap and tape the opening shut with an extra strip of clear tape. Run your finger firmly along all edges around the smartwatch outline, pressing over the bands and case corners so the tape holds down well.
8Squish!
Done! Give the puffy watch screen a good squeeze and watch it puff right back up. If you want a slow-rising squishy, prick one tiny pinhole into the back sensor side so the air escapes slowly.
Free Smartwatch 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 smartwatch feels too hard. It is packed with too much stuffing inside the case and bands. Gently open the side gap, pull a few pieces out, and tape the edge shut again.
- Wrinkles on the dark screen. Creases show up easily against the black watch face. Use shorter strips of packing tape and lay them across the piece without pulling or stretching.
- A strap edge splits open. The curves where the coral band meets the silver case take extra pressure when squished. Put a new short strip of clear tape right across the edge, overlapping the old ones.
- Smudged custom watch face. If you drew your own screen design or colored the straps with markers, let the ink dry fully before taping. Printer ink is fine to tape right away.
Questions
How do I make a paper squishy phone or laptop to match?
Every tech gadget uses this exact same tape-and-stuff method! After finishing this watch (which measures about 3.4 × 4.5 in or 8.6 × 11.4 cm), you can print a phone or laptop template to craft a complete paper tech set.
Can I use glue instead of tape on the edges?
Not for the edges. Glue doesn’t stick to tape-covered paper, so the watch seams would pop open when you squeeze it. The snipped tape border folded over the edge holds best.
What paper works best for a paper squishy?
Plain printer paper (80–100 gsm / 20–24 lb) works best because it folds smoothly around the watch bands. Cardstock makes the squishy stiff and it won’t squish as nicely.
What can I stuff my smartwatch squishy with?
Use torn plastic grocery bags for a crinkly and light feel, or cotton balls and fiberfill to make it soft. You can also use small pieces of memory foam for a slow-rising squishy.
Can I make this template bigger or craft it with a group?
Yes! To make it bigger, print the page at 120% so the front and back scale together on the same sheet, and for a class or group, cut tape strips in advance and plan about 30 minutes.
More paper squishies to make
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