- Easy
- 20–30 minutes
- No glue
- about 4.5 × 3.7 in (11.4 × 9.5 cm)
Nothing beats a classic chocolate wafer treat stuffed with swirled vanilla and strawberry filling, except an ice cream sandwich paper squishy that never melts! This cheerful kawaii snack has sparkly eyes and rosy cheeks right on the top cookie. Grab the free printable PDF in US Letter or A4, which includes 3 versions: full color, a coloring page, and a blank outline. Pair it with our ice cream cone squishy for the ultimate summer craft.
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your ice cream sandwich sheet at 100% scale on plain printer paper, making sure to turn off “fit to page.” Check that the scale line in the top corner measures exactly 2 inches (50 mm on A4). If you chose the coloring page, color the wafers and swirly ice cream filling now, and let any marker ink dry completely before moving on.
2Tape the pieces
Lay strips of wide clear packing tape over just the front and back sandwich pieces rather than the whole page. Smooth each piece of tape from the middle of the cookie out toward the edges without pulling or stretching it, because stretched tape will wrinkle later. This glossy coat makes your paper strong, shiny, and extra squishy.
3Cut out both pieces
Use your scissors to cut out the front and back pieces right along the solid black outer line. Take your time following the rounded wafer corners and the wavy bumps along the ice cream sides, and be sure to keep the narrow white border all the way around both cutouts.
4Add a tape border to the back
Place the back piece printed side down onto strips of regular clear tape so the sticky side faces up. Cut the tape about 1 cm (½ inch) past the paper edge, then snip into this sticky border every 2 cm (1 inch) right up to the paper. These little flaps will wrap nicely around the curved cookie corners and wavy sides.
5Join front and back
Line up 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 wafers and filling. Leave a small 4.5 cm gap open where the pink line shows in the step picture so you have room to stuff.
6Stuff it
Tear your plastic bags, cotton, or fiberfill into small, fluffy bits and push them inside through the open gap. Pack the far corners of the chocolate wafers first, then fill the wavy ice cream middle until the pillow feels soft and puffy. Stop before it gets too tight, since overstuffing can make the taped seams pop open.
7Close the gap
Fold the last tape flaps neatly over the stuffing gap and tape the opening shut with an extra strip of clear tape. Run your finger firmly along the entire outer border, pressing down all the way around the wafers and ice cream edges so every seam is sealed tight.
8Squish!
Your frozen treat is ready! Give your ice cream sandwich a big squeeze and watch it puff right back into shape. If you want an extra slow-rising feel, carefully prick one tiny pinhole into the back of the squishy so the air escapes slowly when you press it.
Free Ice Cream Sandwich 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 sandwich feels too hard. If the cookie pillow won’t squish down easily, it has too much filling inside. Gently peel open the gap, pull out a few tufts of stuffing, and tape the edge shut again.
- Wrinkles across the chocolate wafer. Dark brown printer ink makes tape creases easy to spot. Use shorter strips of packing tape and lay them down gently without pulling so the surface stays glassy smooth.
- A wavy side seam pops. The bumpy ice cream edges take a lot of pressure when you squeeze. Simply place a fresh short strip of clear tape right across the split, overlapping the old tape.
- Smudged strawberry and chocolate colors. Fresh marker ink can smear across the pale vanilla swirl when you press tape over it. Always let hand-colored pages dry completely before taping; printer ink is ready right away.
Questions
How do I use this ice cream paper squishy template without glue?
You don’t need any glue for the edges because glue doesn’t stick to tape-covered paper anyway. The snipped clear tape border folds right over the edges of the template to hold the front and back together securely.
What paper works best for a paper squishy ice cream craft?
Standard plain printer paper (80–100 gsm / 20–24 lb) gives the best squish. Heavy cardstock is too stiff and stops the pillow from puffing back up nicely when you squeeze it.
What can I stuff my ice cream sandwich with?
Cut-up plastic grocery bags give a fun crinkly feel, while cotton balls or fiberfill make it super soft and plush. You can also use tiny bits of memory foam if you want a slow-rising texture.
Can I print the template bigger?
Yes! Set your printer scale to 120% to make a jumbo treat, just make sure the front and back print together on the same sheet so both sides match up.
What other paper squishy ideas will ice cream fans love?
You can build a whole frozen dessert shop by pairing this sandwich with our ice cream sundae squishy. If you are crafting with a group or class, print 1 sheet per kid, pre-cut the tape strips, and plan about 30 minutes for coloring and assembly.
More paper squishies to make
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