- Easy
- 20–30 minutes
- No glue
- about 3.6 × 4.1 in (9.1 × 10.4 cm)
This glossy purple grape bunch with its sparkly eyes, rosy cheeks, and leafy green stem makes the cutest handmade fidget. Grab the free printable grape paper squishy template in US Letter or A4, featuring 3 versions: ready-to-make color, a black-and-white coloring page, and a blank outline for your own kawaii face. It finishes at about 3.6 × 4.1 in (9.1 × 10.4 cm) and looks adorable next to a strawberry paper squishy in a handmade fruit basket.
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your grape bunch template at 100% scale on plain printer paper with “fit to page” turned off. Check the scale line in the top corner to make sure it measures exactly 2 inches (50 mm on A4). If you picked the coloring page, color the grapes in shades of purple or green right now and let any marker ink dry completely before moving on.
2Tape the pieces
Cover only the 2 grape bunch pieces with wide clear packing tape, rather than taping the entire sheet. Smooth each strip down from the center out toward the bumpy berry edges without pulling or stretching the tape, because stretched tape will wrinkle later. This smooth layer makes your grape bunch shiny, strong, and extra squishy.
3Cut out both pieces
Cut out the front and back grape bunch pieces along the solid black outer line. Take your time turning the paper smoothly around the curvy grape bumps, the leaf tip, and the little stem at the top. Make sure to keep the small white border intact all the way around both cutouts.
4Add a tape border to the back
Lay the back grape 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, then snip into this border every 2 cm (1 inch) right up to the paper. Those little flaps will follow the bumpy fruit outline and hold your squishy together.
5Join front and back
Put the front grape bunch on the back piece with the white sides together, matching up the stem, leaf, and bottom grape. Fold the sticky tape flaps over the front edge one by one and press them down. Leave a 3.5 cm (1½ in) gap open on the side (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 pieces and push them inside through the open gap. Fill the far corners first, especially up into the stem, the leaf, and the single grape at the bottom tip. Stop when the bunch feels soft and puffy, since too much stuffing makes the seams pop.
7Close the gap
Fold the last tape flaps over the stuffed opening and tape the gap shut with an extra strip of clear tape. Run your finger firmly along all the scalloped edges of the grape bunch to press every tape flap down well.
8Squish!
Done! Squeeze your kawaii grape bunch and watch the plump berries puff right back up. Want a slow-rising squishy? Prick one tiny pinhole in the back so the air escapes slowly.
Free Grape Bunch 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
- An edge splits open. The dips between the individual grapes have tight curves where a seam can pop. Put a new short strip of clear tape across the split edge, overlapping the old ones.
- The tape wrinkles on the grapes. Use shorter strips of packing tape over the wide grape cluster and lay them on smoothly without pulling.
- The purple marker smeared. Dark purple and green markers need a moment to set on plain paper, so let them dry fully before taping. Printer ink is fine right away.
- My grape bunch feels hard. It has too much stuffing packed into the berries. Open the side gap, take some filling out, and tape it shut again.
Questions
How do I make a fruit paper squishy set?
You can print and tape several designs to build a cute fruit basket! Pair your grape bunch with a watermelon paper squishy using the same plain paper, clear tape, and stuffing method.
Can I use glue instead of tape on the edges?
Not for the edges. Glue doesn’t stick to tape-covered paper, so the wavy grape seams would open right up. The snipped tape border folded over the edge holds best.
What paper works best for a grape paper squishy?
Plain printer paper (80–100 gsm / 20–24 lb) works best. Cardstock makes the grape bunch stiff and it won’t squish as nicely.
What can I stuff my paper squishy with?
Use plastic grocery bags for a crinkly and light feel, cotton balls or fiberfill for a soft pillow, or small pieces of memory foam for a slow-rising squishy.
Can I make this grape squishy bigger?
Yes! Print the template page at a larger scale, for example 120%, and make sure to print the front and the back together on the same sheet so they match.
More paper squishies to make
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