- Easy
- 20–30 minutes
- No glue
- about 3.7 × 3.7 in (9.3 × 9.4 cm)
This cute kimbap roll is packed with orange carrots, green spinach, yellow egg, savory strips, and a ring of fluffy white rice wrapped in dark green seaweed, complete with sparkly eyes and rosy cheeks. Download our free sushi paper squishy template in US Letter or A4, which includes 3 versions: full color, a coloring page, and a blank outline. Once taped and stuffed, your pillow measures about 3.7 × 3.7 in (9.3 × 9.4 cm). Pair it with our onigiri paper squishy for a full snack set!
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your kimbap roll sheet at 100% scale on plain printer paper, making sure to turn off “fit to page” in your settings. Check the scale line in the top corner to confirm it measures 2 inches (50 mm on A4). If you chose the coloring page, color the carrot, spinach, egg, and seaweed wrapper now, then let any marker ink dry completely before moving on.
2Tape the pieces
Laminate just the front and back kimbap roll pieces with wide clear packing tape rather than covering the whole page. Smooth each strip down from the middle of the rice ring outward without pulling or stretching the tape, because stretched tape will wrinkle later. This glossy coat makes the dark seaweed wrapper shine and keeps the paper strong when you squeeze it.
3Cut out both pieces
Take your scissors and cut out both the smiling front piece and the matching back piece right along the solid black outer line. Guide your scissors smoothly as you go around the curved seaweed roll, and be sure to keep the narrow white border around the artwork intact so the edges line up neatly.
4Add a tape border to the back
Lay the back kimbap piece printed side down onto strips of clear tape with the sticky side facing up. Cut the tape about 1 cm (½ inch) past the paper edge, then snip this sticky border every 2 cm (1 inch) right up to the paper. These small flaps will hold your round roll together cleanly.
5Join front and back
Place the front kimbap piece on the back piece with the white unprinted sides together, matching up the rice ring and seaweed base. Fold the sticky flaps over the edge of the front one by one and press them down firmly. Leave a 3.5 cm (1½ inch) gap open at the side where the pink line shows in the picture for stuffing.
6Stuff it
Tear plastic grocery bags, cotton, or fiberfill into small pieces and push them inside through the open gap. Fill the far edges along the dark seaweed wrapper and curved rice border first, then stuff the center until the roll feels soft and puffy. Stop before it gets too tight so the round seams do not pop open.
7Close the gap
Once your kimbap roll is nicely padded, fold the last tape flaps neatly over the open edge. Tape the 3.5 cm (1½ inch) gap shut with an extra strip of clear tape, then run your finger firmly along all the curved edges to press the tape down well.
8Squish!
Done! Give the puffy rice and veggie center a big squeeze and watch your kimbap roll puff right back up. Want a slow-rising squishy? Prick 1 tiny pinhole in the back of the roll so the air escapes gently when you press it.
Free Kimbap Roll 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
- Roll feels too stiff. If the round kimbap pillow feels hard instead of bouncy, it has too much stuffing inside. Gently open the filling gap, take some stuffing out of the center, and tape the edge shut again.
- Wrinkles on the dark seaweed. Creases show up quickly against the dark green seaweed wrapper. Use shorter strips of packing tape and lay them on smoothly without pulling.
- Curved edge splits open. Because the kimbap roll is curved all the way around, a seam can split if the stuffing pushes against it. Put a new short strip of clear tape across the edge, overlapping the old ones.
- Colored fillings smeared. Bright orange, yellow, and green markers on the coloring page can smudge if taped too soon. Let markers dry fully before taping, whereas printer ink is fine right away.
Questions
Can I use this as a sushi paper squishy template?
Yes! While kimbap is a Korean seaweed rice roll with cooked fillings, it has the same rolled look people love when searching for a sushi paper squishy. You can also pair it with our salmon sushi squishy to build a whole platter.
Where can I find more paper squishy ideas like sushi and rice snacks?
This printable kimbap roll is a great start for a cute food collection, and you can make it bigger by printing the front and back together on the same sheet at 120% scale. Combine different sizes of rolled rice snacks to create your own paper bento box.
Can I use glue instead of tape on the round edges?
Not for the edges, because glue does not stick to tape-covered paper and the curved seams would open. Folding the snipped tape border over the edge holds the kimbap roll together best.
What paper and stuffing work best for this squishy?
Use plain printer paper (80–100 gsm / 20–24 lb), since cardstock makes the roll too stiff to squish nicely. You can stuff it with plastic grocery bags for a crinkly feel, cotton balls or fiberfill for a soft pillow, or small pieces of memory foam for a slow-rising squish.
Can I make these with a class or a group?
Yes, just print 1 sheet per person and cut the clear tape strips in advance. Kids can color the kimbap coloring page while you help with taping, and the activity takes about 30 minutes.
More paper squishies to make
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