- Easy
- 20–30 minutes
- No glue
- about 4.3 × 3.7 in (10.9 × 9.4 cm)
This glossy pink sweet heart emoji paper squishy features sparkly heart-filled eyes, rosy oval cheeks, and a happy open smile. Your free printable PDF comes in US Letter and A4 and gives you 3 versions to play with: the shaded pink color design, a black-and-white coloring page, and a blank heart outline. It pairs super well with the love envelope paper squishy if you want to craft a matching gift set!
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your sweet heart template at 100% scale on plain printer paper—make sure to turn off “fit to page” in your print settings. Check the scale line in the top corner: it should measure 2 inches (50 mm on A4). If you picked the coloring page, color the heart now with pastel pink, lavender, or rainbow shades, and let any marker ink dry completely before moving on.
2Tape the pieces
Lay strips of wide clear packing tape over the front and back heart shapes only—there is no need to cover the entire sheet of paper. Smooth each strip down from the middle of the kawaii face toward the outer curves without pulling or stretching the tape, because stretched tape will wrinkle later. This glossy coat makes your squishy shiny, strong, and extra squeezable.
3Cut out both pieces
Use your scissors to cut out both the front and back pieces right along the solid black outer line. Keep the narrow white border around the pink heart intact. Take your time pivoting the paper smoothly around the two rounded top curves, the V-shaped dip in the center, and the bottom point so both pieces match up cleanly.
4Add a tape border to the back
Place the back heart printed side down onto strips of clear tape so the sticky side faces up toward you. Cut the tape all the way around to leave a border about 1 cm (½ inch) wide past the paper edge. Snip little slits into this sticky border every 2 cm (1 inch) right up to the paper, paying extra attention to the top dip and bottom point.
5Join front and back
Line up the front heart right on top of the back piece with the white unprinted sides facing each other. Fold the sticky tape flaps over the front edge one by one and press them down firmly around the top dip and bottom tip. Leave a 4.5 cm (1¾ in) gap open along one of the flatter lower sides, right where the pink line in the picture shows.
6Stuff it
Tear plastic grocery bags, cotton, or fiberfill into small fluffy bits and push them inside through your open side gap. Fill the far corners first—tucking pieces into the two top rounded curves and the bottom point—so the heart gets its full, plump shape. Stop once it feels soft and puffy, because packing in too much stuffing can make the taped seams pop open.
7Close the gap
Fold the last remaining tape flaps neatly over the open side of the heart to hold the stuffing inside. Tape the gap completely shut with an extra strip of regular clear tape. Run your finger firmly all the way along the curved edges and the center dip to make sure the tape is pressed down well.
8Squish!
Your sweet heart squishy is done—measuring about 4.3 × 3.7 in (10.9 × 9.4 cm)! Give those rosy cheeks a squeeze and watch the glossy pink pillow puff right back up into shape. If you want a slow-rising squishy, prick one tiny pinhole in the back of the heart so the air escapes slowly.
Free Sweet Heart 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
- Heart feels too hard?. It simply has too much stuffing packed inside. Open the side gap, pull out a few tufts from the center, and tape the edge shut again.
- Tape wrinkles across the face?. Stretched packing tape tends to wrinkle on wide shapes like this heart. Use shorter strips and lay them down gently without pulling.
- Top dip splits open?. The inward V-curve at the top of the heart takes extra tension when squeezed. Put a new short strip of clear tape right across the edge, overlapping the old flaps.
- Smudged pink cheeks?. Marker ink needs a moment to set before you tape over it. Let your coloring page dry completely before taping; printer ink is fine right away.
Questions
What can I stuff my emoji paper squishy with?
You can use plastic grocery bags for a crinkly, light feel, cotton balls or fiberfill for a soft pillow, or small pieces of memory foam for a slow-rising squishy. Move the link out of technique advice and try pairing your finished heart with the heart eyes smiley squishy for a cute emoji set!
Where can I find paper squishy ideas with a cute emoji face?
Right on this page! The free PDF download includes the sweet heart with its kawaii face in full color, plus a black-and-white coloring version and a blank heart outline so you can draw your own expressions.
Can I use glue instead of tape to close the heart?
Not for the edges. Glue doesn’t stick to tape-covered paper, so the curved seams would open when you squeeze it; the snipped tape border folded over the edge holds best.
What paper works best for paper squishies?
Plain printer paper (80–100 gsm / 20–24 lb) works best. Cardstock makes the squishy stiff around the heart curves and it won’t squish as nicely.
Can I make this heart squishy bigger or with a classroom group?
To make it bigger, print the front and back together on the same sheet at a larger scale like 120%. For a class or group, plan about 30 minutes, print one sheet per person, and cut tape strips in advance so kids can color while you help with taping.
More paper squishies to make
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