- Easy
- 20–30 minutes
- No glue
- about 3.5 × 3.7 in (9.0 × 9.4 cm)
With its sparkly eyes, rosy pink cheeks, and wide grin, this pearly white Happy Tooth makes the sweetest little pillow for your desk or Tooth Fairy celebrations. If you want to craft a cute emoji paper squishy, our free printable PDF gives you 3 versions in both US Letter and A4 sizes: full color, a coloring page, and a blank outline. Pair it with our soap bar paper squishy for a fun bathroom routine set!
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your Happy Tooth template at 100% scale on plain printer paper with “fit to page” turned off. Check the scale line in the top corner to make sure it measures exactly 2 inches (50 mm on A4). If you picked the coloring page or blank version, add rosy cheeks and soft blue shading along the enamel now, then let any marker ink dry completely.
2Tape the pieces
Cover only the 2 tooth pieces with strips of wide clear packing tape, rather than taping the entire sheet. Smooth each strip from the middle of the happy face outward toward the roots without pulling or stretching, because stretched tape will wrinkle later. This glossy coat gives the tooth its pearly shine and makes the paper strong and extra squishy.
3Cut out both pieces
Use your scissors to cut out both the front and back pieces right along the solid outer black line, keeping the small white border around the tooth. Take your time curving around the top crown, the side indents, and the deep dip between the 2 bottom roots so both shapes match cleanly.
4Add a tape border to the back
Lay the back piece printed side down onto strips of regular clear tape so the sticky side faces up around the outline. 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, paying close attention to the curve between the roots. These little flaps will hold your squishy together.
5Join front and back
Line up the smiling front piece on top of the back piece with the white paper sides together. Fold the sticky tape flaps over the front edge one by one and press them down firmly around the roots and sides. Leave a 3.5 cm (1½ inch) gap open where the pink line shows in the picture for your stuffing.
6Stuff it
Tear plastic bags, cotton, or fiberfill into small pieces and push them in through the gap. Fill the far corners down inside the 2 bottom roots first so they puff up evenly, then fill the wider crown until the tooth feels soft and puffy. Stop before it gets too full so the curved seams do not pop open.
7Close the gap
Fold the last tape flaps over the edge and tape the stuffing gap shut with an extra strip of clear tape. Run your finger firmly along all the edges, especially around the curved bottom roots, to make sure the tape is pressed down well.
8Squish!
Done! Give the chubby cheeks a squeeze and watch your Happy Tooth puff right back up. If you want a slow-rising squishy, prick one tiny pinhole into the back of the tooth so the air escapes gently when you squish it.
Free Happy Tooth 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 tooth feels too hard. Packing too much filling into the crown makes the pillow stiff instead of squishy. Open the gap, take some stuffing out, and tape it shut again so the 2 roots and top stay soft.
- The notch between roots splits. The tight V-shaped dip at the bottom takes extra tension when you squeeze the tooth. Put a new short strip of clear tape right across that edge, overlapping the old ones to hold the seam.
- Tape wrinkles over the face. Stretched packing tape can leave creases right across the sparkly eyes and smile. Use shorter strips and lay them on gently from the center outward without pulling.
- Cheek and eye colors smeared. Dark black eyes and pink cheeks on the white tooth can smudge if taped too soon. Let markers dry fully before taping; printer ink is fine right away.
Questions
How do you make a paper squishy face look neat and shiny?
To keep the kawaii face crisp and glossy, print on plain printer paper (80–100 gsm / 20–24 lb) and smooth wide clear packing tape from the center of the cheeks outward without stretching. Cardstock makes the tooth stiff, so it won’t squish as nicely.
What are some fun paper squishy ideas for an emoji set?
This grinning tooth fits right in with expressive designs, so you can pair it with our heart eyes smiley squishy to build your own desktop collection. You can also use the blank template in the PDF to draw winking, sleepy, or silly faces on your tooth.
Can I use glue instead of tape to seal the tooth?
Not for the edges. Glue doesn’t stick to tape-covered paper, so the curved seams around the roots would open when squeezed. The snipped tape border folded over the edge holds best.
What can I stuff the Happy Tooth with?
You can use plastic grocery bags for a crinkly and light feel, or cotton balls and fiberfill to make the tooth super soft. Tear the filling into small pieces so it reaches into both bottom roots, or use small pieces of memory foam for a slow-rising squishy.
Can I make this craft bigger or with a classroom group?
Yes! To make a larger tooth, print the page at 120% scale so the front and back grow together on the same sheet and still match. For a class or group, print one sheet per person, cut tape strips in advance, and plan about 30 minutes.
More paper squishies to make
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