- Easy
- 20–30 minutes
- No glue
- about 3.6 × 3.9 in (9.2 × 9.9 cm)
With its swirled pink and blue pastel clouds, rosy cheeks, and little striped cone, this cotton candy pillow looks ready for a carnival. Download our free printable candy paper squishy template to get 3 versions in both US Letter and A4 sizes: full color, a coloring page, and a blank outline. Pair it with a swirl lollipop squishy for the ultimate sweet shop collection!
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your cotton candy sheet at 100% scale on plain printer paper, making sure “fit to page” is turned off. Check the scale line in the top corner—it should measure 2 inches (50 mm on A4). If you picked the coloring page, blend soft pastel shades or rainbow swirls across the fluffy puffs and let any marker ink dry completely before moving on.
2Tape the pieces
Lay strips of wide clear packing tape directly over the 2 cotton candy pieces rather than covering the whole page. Smooth each piece of tape from the middle outward without pulling or stretching it, since stretched tape wrinkles later. This glossy coat makes your paper strong, shiny, and ready for endless squishing.
3Cut out both pieces
Use your scissors to cut out the front and back shapes right along the solid outer line. Keep the narrow white border intact all the way around the bumpy cloud curves and the little cone at the bottom. Take your time turning the paper smoothly around the dip where the cloud meets the cone.
4Add a tape border to the back
Flip the back piece so the printed side faces down on strips of regular clear tape with the sticky side facing up. Trim the tape about 1 cm (½ inch) outside the paper edge, then snip into this sticky border every 2 cm (1 inch) right up to the paper. These little flaps will hug the wavy cotton candy outline smoothly.
5Join front and back
Place the smiling front piece directly on top of the back piece with the white sides together, lining up the bottom cone and cloud bumps. Fold the sticky tape flaps over the front edge one by one and press them flat. Leave a 3.5 cm (1½ inch) gap open on the side where the pink line in the illustration shows your stuffing opening.
6Stuff it
Tear your plastic bags, cotton, or fiberfill into small bits and push them inside through the side gap. Tuck a little stuffing down into the narrow cone tip first, then fill out the puffy cloud curves until the pillow feels soft and plump—stop before overfilling so the seams don’t pop.
7Close the gap
Fold the remaining tape flaps over the open side and lock the gap shut with an extra strip of clear tape. Run your finger firmly around all the scalloped edges and the bottom cone to make sure every seam is pressed down tight.
8Squish!
Your fluffy carnival treat is ready! Give the cotton candy a big squeeze and watch it puff right back into shape. If you want a super slow-rising effect, prick 1 tiny pinhole into the back of the squishy so the air escapes gently.
Free Cotton Candy 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
- Colors smeared under the tape. If you colored the pastel swirls with markers, let the ink dry completely before laying down the packing tape. Printer ink is ready to tape right away.
- Bumpy edges split open. Where the cloud puffs meet the cone, place a short strip of clear tape right across the dip, overlapping the old tape to reinforce the curve.
- My squishy feels too hard. Cotton candy should feel airy! Gently peel open the side gap, pull out a bit of filling, and tape the edge shut again.
- Tape wrinkles on the face. Lay shorter strips of packing tape across the smiling face and smooth them from the center outward without pulling.
Questions
What other candy paper squishy ideas go well with this?
You can craft a whole sweet shop basket by pairing your cotton candy with a gummy bear squishy or colorful lollipops. Print them at 100% so your treats match in size.
Can I use glue instead of tape on the scalloped edges?
No, glue will not stick to the tape-laminated paper, so the wavy seams would pop right open. Folding the snipped tape border over the edge is the best way to hold the pillow together.
What paper works best for a printable paper squishy template?
Plain printer paper (80–100 gsm / 20–24 lb) folds smoothly around the cloud curves and squishes best. Heavy cardstock makes the toy stiff and hard to squeeze.
What can I stuff my cotton candy paper squishy with?
Real cotton balls or fiberfill give it a fittingly cloud-like feel, while cut-up plastic grocery bags make it light and crinkly. You can also use tiny bits of memory foam for a slow-rising squish.
Can I make this cotton candy squishy bigger?
Yes! Print the template page at a larger scale, such as 120%, and make sure the front and back stay on the same sheet so both halves match.
More paper squishies to make
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