- Easy
- 20–30 minutes
- No glue
- about 3.9 × 3.8 in (9.9 × 9.6 cm)
With its chubby pink petals, sunny yellow center, and sweet winking expression, this happy flower paper squishy brings instant cheer to your desk. You get a free printable template in US Letter and A4 with 3 versions: ready-to-cut color, a coloring page, and a blank blossom for drawing your own face. It pairs wonderfully with the happy star squishy or the rainbow cloud squishy for a sunny desk set.
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your flower sheet at 100% on plain printer paper and turn off “fit to page.” Check the top corner line to make sure it measures 2 inches (50 mm on A4). If you picked the coloring page, color the petals and sunny center now—try pastel rainbow petals or keep them classic pink—and let marker ink dry completely before moving on.
2Tape the pieces
Cover only the 2 flower pieces with wide clear packing tape, leaving the rest of the sheet untaped. Smooth each strip from the yellow center out toward the petal tips without pulling—stretched tape creates wrinkles later. This glossy coat makes your paper blossom strong, shiny, and extra squishy.
3Cut out both pieces
Cut out the front and back flowers along the solid black outer line. Turn the paper smoothly as you go around each rounded petal and into the dips between them, making sure to keep the narrow white border intact all the way around.
4Add a tape border to the back
Place the back flower printed side down onto strips of regular tape with the sticky side facing up. Cut the tape about 1 cm (½ inch) past the paper edge, then snip this tape border every 2 cm (1 inch) right up to the paper so the little flaps fold cleanly around the petals.
5Join front and back
Line up the front flower on top of the back piece with the white sides together, matching the petals. Fold the sticky flaps over the front edge one by one and press them down firmly. Leave a 4 cm (1½ in) gap open along one bottom petal—the pink line in the picture shows where—for the stuffing.
6Stuff it
Tear your plastic bags, cotton, or fiberfill into small pieces and push them in through the open petal gap. Fill the far top petals first so every curve puffs out evenly, and stop when the yellow center feels soft and puffy—too much stuffing makes the seams pop.
7Close the gap
Fold the last tape flaps over the stuffed petal edge and tape the gap shut with an extra strip of clear tape. Run your finger all around the scalloped outline and the dips between the petals to press the tape down well.
8Squish!
Done! Give the puffy petals a big squeeze and watch the winking face puff right back up. Want a slow-rising squishy? Prick one tiny pinhole in the back.
Free Happy Flower 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
- My flower squishy feels hard. If the yellow center feels too firm, it has too much stuffing. Open the gap on the bottom petal, take some stuffing out, and tape it shut again.
- The tape wrinkles on the face. Wrinkles show up easily across the wide yellow center and round petals. Use shorter strips of packing tape and lay them on smoothly without pulling.
- A petal edge splits open. The dips between the petals take extra pressure when you squeeze the flower. Put a new short strip of tape across the split edge, overlapping the old ones.
- Pink and yellow colors smeared. Marker ink on the big petals needs a moment to set before taping. Always let markers dry fully before laying down the packing tape; printer ink is fine right away.
Questions
Can I use glue instead of tape for this flower?
Not for the edges. Glue does not stick to tape-covered paper, so the curved petal seams would open. The snipped tape border folded over the edge holds best.
How can I customize the paper squishy face?
Print the blank template version and use markers or colored pencils to draw your own cute expression in the center circle before taping. Just let the marker ink dry completely so your custom face does not smear under the packing tape.
Do you have more emoji paper squishy ideas?
Yes! This winking blossom looks adorable alongside other expressive designs like a smiley face or a cute star. Print a few different sheets on plain 80–100 gsm (20–24 lb) printer paper to build your own cheerful desk collection.
What can I stuff my flower paper squishy with?
You can use torn plastic grocery bags for a crinkly, light 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 make these with a class or a group?
Yes! Print 1 sheet per person and cut tape strips in advance. Kids can color the flower coloring page while you help with taping, and you should plan about 30 minutes.
More paper squishies to make
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