- Easy
- 20–30 minutes
- No glue
- about 4.5 × 2.6 in (11.4 × 6.5 cm)
Sizzle up your craft table with a wavy bacon strip featuring crispy reddish-brown and creamy stripes, happy closed eyes, and rosy pink cheeks. Grab our free bacon paper squishy template in US Letter and A4, complete with 3 versions: full color, a coloring page, and a blank outline. Once stuffed, this puffy pillow measures about 4.5 × 2.6 in (11.4 × 6.5 cm). Pair it with a fried egg squishy and a toast paper squishy for a full breakfast set!
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your bacon strip page 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—it should measure 2 inches (50 mm on A4). If you chose the coloring page, color the wavy savory stripes and rosy cheeks now, then let any marker ink dry completely.
2Tape the pieces
Lay strips of wide clear packing tape over the front and back bacon pieces only, leaving the rest of the sheet bare. Smooth each strip from the center out toward the wavy edges without pulling or stretching the tape, because stretched tape wrinkles later. This glossy coat makes your bacon strip strong, shiny, and extra squishy.
3Cut out both pieces
Use your scissors to cut out both the smiling front piece and the striped back piece right along the solid outer line. Take your time steering smoothly around the gentle waves on the top and bottom, and be sure to keep the narrow white border intact all the way around.
4Add a tape border to the back
Place the back bacon piece printed side down onto strips of regular clear tape so the sticky side faces up around the outline. Trim the tape about 1 cm (½ inch) past the paper edge, then snip into this sticky border every 2 cm (1 inch) right up to the paper, especially inside the dips of the waves. These little flaps will hold your squishy together.
5Join front and back
Line up the front piece right on top of the back, keeping the white sides together so the wavy curves match. Fold the sticky flaps over the front edge one by one and press them down firmly. Leave a 4.5 cm (1¾ in) gap open along one side, right where the pink line in the illustration shows, for your stuffing.
6Stuff it
Tear plastic grocery bags, cotton, or fiberfill into small bits and push them inside through your open gap. Tuck the stuffing into the wavy ends of the bacon strip first, then fill the middle until it feels soft and puffy. Stop before it gets too tight, since overstuffing can make the curved seams pop.
7Close the gap
Fold the remaining tape flaps neatly over the open edge and secure the gap shut with an extra strip of clear tape. Run your finger along all the wavy top and bottom edges to press the tape down well so no air or stuffing escapes.
8Squish!
Your crispy breakfast buddy is ready! Give the bacon strip a good squeeze and watch it puff right back into shape. If you want a slow-rising paper squishy, prick 1 tiny pinhole in the back so the air escapes slowly.
Free Bacon Strip 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
- Fix a splitting wavy edge. If a curved seam pops open along the bacon waves, place a new short strip of clear tape right across the edge, overlapping the old ones.
- My bacon feels too stiff. A long shape can get firm quickly if packed too tightly. Peel open the stuffing gap, pull out a few bits of filling from the center, and tape it shut again.
- Keep the glossy tape wrinkle-free. Work with shorter strips of packing tape and lay them down gently without pulling, smoothing from the smiling face outward toward the ends.
- Prevent rich bacon colors smearing. Dark red and brown markers take a moment to set, so let your coloring page dry completely before taping; regular printer ink is ready right away.
Questions
How do you make a bacon squishy out of paper?
Print the template on plain printer paper, cover both pieces with wide clear packing tape, and cut them out along the solid line. Add a snipped tape border around the back piece, fold the flaps over the front leaving a 4.5 cm (1¾ in) gap, stuff it softly, and tape the gap closed.
What paper works best for a printable paper squishy template?
Plain printer paper (80–100 gsm / 20–24 lb) is ideal because it folds easily around the wavy bacon edges. Cardstock is too thick and makes the finished pillow stiff instead of squishy.
Can I use glue instead of tape to seal the edges?
No, glue will not stick to the slick tape-covered paper, so your seams would pop open when squeezed. Folding a snipped clear tape border over the edges holds everything together securely.
What can I stuff my bacon squishy with?
Cut-up plastic grocery bags give a fun crinkly feel, while cotton balls or fiberfill make it super soft and plush. You can also use tiny bits of memory foam if you want a slow-rising effect.
Can I make this squishy bigger or craft with a group?
To make a jumbo strip, print the sheet at 120% scale so the front and back scale together. For a class or party, print 1 sheet per person, pre-cut the tape strips, and plan about 30 minutes.
More paper squishies to make
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