- Easy
- 20–30 minutes
- No glue
- about 2.5 × 4.5 in (6.3 × 11.4 cm)
Stay hydrated in the cutest way with this pastel floral water bottle paper squishy! It features a sweet pink-to-blue gradient, cherry blossom flowers, tiny hearts, and a happy smiling face with rosy cheeks. Your free printable PDF comes in US Letter and A4 sizes with 3 versions: full color, a coloring page, and a blank outline. Pair it with our tumbler paper squishy for the ultimate desk buddy duo!
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your water bottle template at 100% scale on plain printer paper, making sure to turn off “fit to page” in your printer settings. Check the scale line in the top corner—it should measure exactly 2 inches (50 mm on A4). If you chose the coloring page, color the lid, blossoms, and ombre bottle body now, then let any marker ink dry completely.
2Tape the pieces
Lay strips of wide clear packing tape over only the front and back water bottle designs, not the whole sheet. Smooth each strip from the center outward without stretching the tape, since stretched tape causes wrinkles later. This glossy layer makes your paper squishy shiny, strong, and extra squishy.
3Cut out both pieces
Cut out the front and back water bottle pieces right along the solid black outer line. Be sure to keep the small white border intact, and guide your scissors smoothly around the curved handle at the top and the slight dip at the bottle neck.
4Add a tape border to the back
Place the back bottle piece printed side down onto 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 this sticky border every 2 cm (1 inch) right up to the paper, including around the curved top handle and bottom corners. These little flaps will hold your squishy together.
5Join front and back
Line up the front bottle piece on top of the back piece, keeping the white sides together. Fold the sticky tape flaps over the front edge one by one and press them down firmly around the lid, neck, and base. Leave a 3 cm (1¼ in) gap open along one side (the pink line in the picture shows where) as your gap for the stuffing.
6Stuff it
Tear your plastic bags, cotton, or fiberfill into small pieces and gently push them inside through the gap. Fill the far corners first—up into the top handle lid and down into the bottom corners—before filling the smiling middle. Stop once the bottle feels soft and puffy, since too much stuffing makes the seams pop.
7Close the gap
Fold the last tape flaps over the opening and tape the gap shut with an extra strip of clear tape. Run your finger firmly along all edges of the water bottle, from the top handle down to the base, to press the tape seams down well.
8Squish!
Done! Give your kawaii water bottle a squeeze and watch the pastel floral bottle puff right back up. Want a slow-rising squishy? Prick one tiny pinhole in the back of the bottle so the air escapes slowly.
Free Water Bottle 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 tape wrinkles on the front. Use shorter strips of packing tape across the floral bottle and lay them on smoothly without pulling or stretching.
- My squishy feels too hard. There is too much stuffing inside the bottle. Gently open the side gap, take some filling out, and tape it shut again.
- The bottle neck edge splits. Curved indents like the bottle neck take extra tension when squished. Put a new short strip of clear tape right across the edge, overlapping the old ones.
- The pastel colors smeared. Always let marker ink on the flowers and ombre background dry fully before taping. Standard printer ink is fine to tape right away.
Questions
Can I use glue instead of tape for this paper squishy?
Not for the edges. Glue doesn’t stick to tape-covered paper, so the bottle seams would pop open when squeezed. The snipped tape border folded over the edge holds best.
What paper works best for a printable paper squishy?
Plain printer paper (80–100 gsm / 20–24 lb) works best because it folds softly when squeezed. Heavy cardstock makes the water bottle stiff and it won’t squish as nicely.
What can I stuff my water bottle squishy with?
You can use plastic grocery bags for a light, crinkly feel, or cotton balls and fiberfill for a soft pillow texture. Small pieces of memory foam also work great for a slow-rising squishy, just like if you were stuffing a cute milk bottle squishy.
Can I make this water bottle paper squishy bigger?
Yes! The finished bottle is about 2.5 × 4.5 in (6.3 × 11.4 cm), and you can print the page at a larger scale, for example 120%. Print the front and the back together on the same sheet so they match.
Can I make these with a class or a party group?
Yes! Print one sheet per person and cut the tape strips in advance. Kids can color the water bottle coloring page while you help with taping—plan about 30 minutes for the activity.
More paper squishies to make
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