- Easy
- 20–30 minutes
- No glue
- about 3.5 × 4.3 in (8.8 × 10.9 cm)
This happy, half-peeled banana paper squishy has a bright yellow peel, creamy fruit inside, and a sweet smiling face with rosy cheeks. Grab the free printable template in US Letter or A4 size, featuring 3 versions: full color, a coloring page, and a blank outline. Once stuffed, your finished fruit pillow measures about 3.5 × 4.3 in (8.8 × 10.9 cm). Pair it with a strawberry paper squishy or a mango paper squishy for a cute fruit basket!
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your banana template at 100% scale on plain printer paper (make sure “fit to page” is turned off). Check the scale line in the top corner: it should measure exactly 2 inches (50 mm on A4). If you picked the coloring page, color the bright yellow peel, creamy fruit top, and pink cheeks now, then let marker ink dry completely.
2Tape the pieces
Cover only the 2 banana pieces with wide clear packing tape, rather than taping the entire sheet. Smooth each strip from the center outward toward the curved peel flaps without stretching the tape—pulled tape will wrinkle later. This glossy layer makes your paper squishy shiny, sturdy, and extra satisfying to squeeze.
3Cut out both pieces
Cut out both the smiling front piece and the matching back piece along the solid outer black line. Take your time curving around the top fruit tip and the 2 side peel flaps, and be sure to keep the narrow white border all the way around.
4Add a tape border to the back
Lay the back banana piece printed side down on strips of tape, sticky side facing up. Trim 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, paying extra attention around the inner dips under the side peels. These little flaps will hold your squishy together.
5Join front and back
Place the front piece right on top of the back piece with the white sides facing together. Fold the sticky tape flaps over the front edge one by one and press them down firmly around the top and side peels. Leave a 3.5 cm (1½ inch) gap open along the edge (shown by the pink line in the picture) for stuffing.
6Stuff it
Tear plastic bags, cotton, or fiberfill into small bits and push them in through the gap. Fill the far corners first—tuck small pieces up into the creamy banana tip and out into the 2 droopy peel flaps—and stop when the middle feels soft and puffy. Too much stuffing will make the seams pop.
7Close the gap
Fold the remaining tape flaps over the edge and seal the gap shut with an extra strip of regular clear tape. Run your finger firmly along all the curved edges and peel tips to press the tape down well so no air or stuffing escapes.
8Squish!
Your fruity friend is ready! Give your banana a gentle squeeze and watch it puff right back into shape. Want a slow-rising paper squishy? Prick one tiny pinhole into the back of the yellow peel so air escapes slowly.
Free Banana 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
- Squishy feels too hard. If the yellow banana body feels stiff and hard to squeeze, it has too much stuffing inside. Open the gap, pull some filling out, and tape the edge shut again.
- Tape wrinkles on the curves. The wavy outline around the peeled sides can cause long tape strips to bunch up. Use shorter strips of tape and lay them down gently without pulling or stretching.
- Seam splits under the peel. The dip where the side peel meets the yellow body gets extra tension when squeezed. If an edge splits open there, place a new short strip of regular tape right across the seam, overlapping the old tape.
- Yellow marker ink smeared. Taping over fresh marker can smudge the dark outlines into the bright yellow peel. Always let markers dry fully before adding packing tape; printer ink is ready right away.
Questions
Can I use glue instead of tape for a banana paper squishy?
Not for the edges, because glue will not stick to the tape-covered paper and the seams would open up. Folding the snipped clear tape border over the curved edges holds the banana together best.
What paper works best for a fruit paper squishy?
Plain printer paper (80–100 gsm / 20–24 lb) works best because it bends easily around the banana’s curved peel flaps. Heavy cardstock makes the pillow too stiff to squish nicely.
What can I stuff my banana squishy with?
You can use torn plastic grocery bags for a light and crinkly feel, or cotton balls and fiberfill for a soft pillow. Small pieces of memory foam also work well if you want a slow-rising squishy.
Can I print the banana paper squishy template bigger?
Yes! Print the template sheet at a larger scale, such as 120%, and make sure you print the front and back pieces together on the same sheet so their sizes match.
Can I make this craft with a classroom or party group?
Yes, just print 1 sheet per person and cut the tape strips in advance. Kids can color the banana coloring page while you help with the taping; plan about 30 minutes for the activity.
More paper squishies to make
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