- Easy
- 20–30 minutes
- No glue
- about 3.9 × 3.7 in (9.9 × 9.3 cm)
With translucent pink and blue layers filled with tiny floating hearts, dripping pink glaze, and a sweet smiling face topped with a glossy heart, this jelly cake paper squishy looks good enough to eat. Download our free printable template in US Letter or A4, which includes 3 versions: full color, a coloring page, and a blank outline for your own designs. You can even pair it with a jelly pudding squishy for a matching dessert collection.
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your jelly cake template at 100% scale on plain printer paper, making sure to turn off the “fit to page” setting. Check that the scale line in the top corner measures exactly 2 inches (50 mm on A4). If you picked the coloring page, color the translucent cake tiers, floating hearts, and frosting swirls now, then let the marker ink dry completely.
2Tape the pieces
Lay strips of wide clear packing tape over the front and back jelly cake pieces only, rather than taping the whole sheet. Smooth every strip from the center outward without pulling or stretching the tape, because stretched tape will wrinkle later. This clear layer gives your cake its shiny, gelatin-like look while making the paper strong and extra squishy.
3Cut out both pieces
Cut out the front and back cake pieces right along the solid outer line, making sure to keep the small white border intact. Take your time steering the scissors around the wavy whipped peaks at the top and the slight curves where the pink icing drips meet the blue middle tier.
4Add a tape border to the back
Place the back piece printed side down onto strips of regular clear tape with the sticky side facing up. Cut the tape about 1 cm (½ inch) past the outer paper edge, then snip this sticky border every 2 cm (1 inch) right up to the paper. These little flaps will hold your curved cake outline together.
5Join front and back
Align the front piece 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 frosting peaks and rounded base. Leave a 4 cm (1½ inch) gap open on the side, just like the pink line in the picture shows, for your stuffing.
6Stuff it
Tear your plastic grocery bags, cotton, or fiberfill into small pieces and push them gently through the open gap. Fill the far corners first—tucking bits up into the top frosting swirls and down into the bottom base—and stop when the cake feels soft and puffy. Too much stuffing can make the taped seams pop open.
7Close the gap
Fold the last tape flaps over the opening and tape the gap shut with an extra strip of clear tape. Run your finger firmly along all edges, pressing the tape down well around the wavy top and smooth bottom base so the seam stays closed.
8Squish!
Your glossy kawaii dessert is done! Give the jelly cake a squeeze and watch the pink and blue tiers puff right back up. If you want a slow-rising paper squishy feel, simply prick one tiny pinhole in the back piece so the air escapes more slowly.
Free Jelly Cake 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 cake feels too firm. It has too much stuffing inside. Open the gap on the side, take some filling out, and tape the edge shut again.
- Wrinkles across the jelly glaze. Ripples happen when wide packing tape gets stretched while you apply it. Use shorter strips and lay them gently across the cake artwork without pulling.
- A wavy top seam splits. The scalloped frosting top has lots of curves that get tested when you squeeze. Put a new short strip of clear tape right across the split edge, overlapping the old ones.
- Smeared pink and blue ink. Marker ink needs a moment to set before touching tape, especially on dark outlines. Let your colored page dry fully before taping; printer ink is fine right away.
Questions
How do you make a paper squishy fidget toy without glue?
You only need clear tape for the edges! Glue does not stick to tape-covered paper, so the seams would open. A snipped tape border folded over the edge holds your fidget toy together best.
What paper works best for a printable paper squishy template?
Plain printer paper (80–100 gsm / 20–24 lb) works best. Cardstock makes the jelly cake stiff and it won’t squish as nicely.
What can I stuff my jelly cake paper squishy with?
Tear up plastic grocery bags for a crinkly, light feel, or use cotton balls or fiberfill to make it soft. You can also use small pieces of memory foam for a slow-rising squishy.
Can I make this jelly cake squishy bigger?
Yes, you can print the page at a larger scale, for example 120%. Just make sure to print the front and the back together on the same sheet so they match.
Can I make these with a class or a group?
Yes! Print 1 sheet per person, cut tape strips in advance, and plan about 30 minutes while kids color and you help with taping. You can also print our cake slice squishy so everyone can make a matching bakery set.
More paper squishies to make
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