- Easy
- 20–30 minutes
- No glue
- about 4.5 × 3.0 in (11.4 × 7.7 cm)
With its toasted golden bun, glossy sausage, wavy mustard squiggle, and rosy-cheeked smile, this hot dog paper squishy looks good enough to eat. You get a free printable template in US Letter and A4 with 3 versions: ready-to-make color, a black-and-white coloring page, and a blank outline. Pair it with a french fries paper squishy and a burger paper squishy to craft your own paper cookout.
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your hot dog template at 100% scale on plain printer paper, making sure to turn off “fit to page”. Check the test line in the top corner: it should measure exactly 2 inches (50 mm on A4). If you picked the coloring page, color the bun, sausage, and wavy mustard now, then let any marker ink dry completely.
2Tape the pieces
Lay strips of wide clear packing tape over the front and back hot dog pieces only, rather than taping the entire page. Smooth each strip from the middle of the bun out toward the ends without pulling or stretching, since stretched tape wrinkles later. This layer makes the paper shiny, strong, and extra squishy.
3Cut out both pieces
Cut out both the smiling front piece and the matching back piece right along the solid black outer line. Take your time curving around the rounded ends of the sausage and bun, and keep the narrow white border intact all the way around.
4Add a tape border to the back
Place the back piece printed side down onto strips of tape with the sticky side facing up. Trim the tape about 1 cm (½ inch) past the paper edge, then snip little slits into the border every 2 cm (1 inch) right up to the paper, following the curves of the sausage and bun. These flaps will hold your squishy together.
5Join front and back
Line up the front piece on top of the back with the white sides facing together. Fold the sticky flaps over the front edge one by one and press them firmly down around the bun. Leave a 4.5 cm (1¾ in) gap open along the bottom curve where the pink line shows in the picture for your stuffing.
6Stuff it
Tear your plastic bags, cotton, or fiberfill into small, fluffy bits and push them in through the bottom gap. Tuck the first pieces into the far corners at the rounded ends of the sausage and bun, then fill the center until it feels soft and puffy. Stop before it gets tight so the seams don’t pop.
7Close the gap
Fold the last tape flaps neatly over the stuffing gap and tape the bottom of the bun shut with an extra strip of regular clear tape. Run your finger firmly along all edges to press the tape down well.
8Squish!
Your kawaii hot dog is done! Squeeze the puffy bun and watch it puff back up into shape. Want a slow-rising squishy? Prick one tiny pinhole in the back so the air escapes gently.
Free Hot Dog 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 bun feels too hard. If the oval shape won’t squish down easily, it has too much stuffing inside. Gently open the bottom gap, take some filling out, and tape the edge shut again.
- Wrinkles across the sausage. Wide curves can trap air bubbles if you pull the packing tape tight. Use shorter strips across the hot dog and lay them on gently without pulling.
- Curved ends splitting open. The rounded tips of the sausage take the most pressure when you squeeze. Put a new short strip of clear tape right across the splitting edge, overlapping the old ones.
- Smeared mustard or blush. Bright yellow and red markers need a moment to set before you tape over them. Let markers dry fully before taping; printer ink is fine right away.
Questions
Can I use glue instead of tape on my hot dog squishy?
Not for the edges. Glue doesn’t stick to tape-covered paper, so the seams around the bun would open. The snipped tape border folded over the edge holds best.
What paper works best for a printable paper squishy template?
Plain printer paper (80–100 gsm / 20–24 lb) gives the best squish. Cardstock makes the hot dog stiff and it won’t squish as nicely.
What can I stuff my paper squishy with?
Use plastic grocery bags for a crinkly and light feel, or cotton balls and fiberfill to make the bun soft. You can also use small pieces of memory foam for a slow-rising squishy.
How do I make a food set with a burger or pizza paper squishy?
Finished at 100%, this hot dog measures about 4.5 × 3.0 in (11.4 × 7.7 cm), or you can print the page at 120% for a bigger size (keep front and back on the same sheet so they match). Print a burger paper squishy template or a pizza paper squishy template at the same scale to build a matching fast-food set.
Can I make these with a class or a group?
Yes, plan about 30 minutes for a group activity. Print 1 sheet per person and cut tape strips in advance so kids can color the hot dog coloring page while you help with taping.
More paper squishies to make
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