- Easy
- 20–30 minutes
- No glue
- about 3.7 × 3.7 in (9.4 × 9.4 cm)
With its golden grid-patterned cookie crust, sparkly sugar details, and rosy smiling cheeks, this kawaii melon pan looks fresh out of a Japanese bakery. You can download our free bakery bread paper squishy template as a PDF in both US Letter and A4 sizes, complete with 3 versions: full color, a coloring page, and a blank outline. Pair it with a cinnamon roll squishy or a croissant paper squishy to build your own cute pastry collection!
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your melon pan sheet 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, shade the puffy grid squares in warm golden browns and add rosy pink cheeks now, then let any marker ink dry completely.
2Tape the pieces
Lay strips of wide clear packing tape right over the front and back melon pan pieces, leaving the rest of the sheet untaped. Smooth each strip down from the middle of the sweet bun outward without pulling or stretching the tape, since stretched tape creates wrinkles later. This glossy coat gives the sugary crust a nice shine and makes the paper strong and extra squishy.
3Cut out both pieces
Use your scissors to cut out the front and back buns along the solid black outer line. Follow the gentle curves around each puffy cookie-crust section carefully, and be sure to keep the small white border attached all the way around both pieces.
4Add a tape border to the back
Place the back piece printed side down onto strips of tape so the sticky side faces up. Cut the tape about 1 cm (½ inch) past the scalloped bun edge, then snip into this sticky border every 2 cm (1 inch) right up to the paper. These little flaps will hold your round squishy together.
5Join front and back
Line up the smiling front piece right on top of the back piece with the white sides facing together. Fold the sticky tape flaps over the curved front edge one by one and press them down firmly. Leave a 3.5 cm (1½ inch) gap open, right where the pink line in the picture shows, so you have room for stuffing.
6Stuff it
Tear your plastic bags, cotton, or fiberfill into small pieces and push them in through the gap. Fill the far curves of the round melon pan first, then work toward the middle until the bun feels soft and puffy. Stop before it gets too tight, as too much stuffing makes the curved seams pop open.
7Close the gap
Fold the last tape flaps neatly over the edge of the bun and tape the gap shut with an extra strip of clear tape. Run your finger all the way along the scalloped edges to press the tape down well.
8Squish!
Done! Your freshly baked melon pan is ready to squeeze. Give the puffy golden bun a gentle press and watch it puff right back up. If you want a slow-rising bakery treat, prick 1 tiny pinhole in the back.
Free Melon Pan 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 melon pan feels too hard. There is too much stuffing packed inside the round shape. Gently open the gap, take some out until the bun feels soft, and tape the edge shut again.
- The tape wrinkles across the grid. Use shorter strips of packing tape and lay them across the round bun without pulling. Smoothing from the smiling center outward keeps the glossy surface flat.
- A curved edge splits open. Put a new short strip of regular clear tape right across the open spot on the scalloped edge, overlapping the old ones.
- The golden colors smeared. Always let markers dry fully on the crust and cheeks before taping. Regular printer ink is fine right away.
Questions
Can I use glue instead of tape for a bakery paper squishy?
Not for the edges. Glue does not stick to the slick, tape-covered paper, so the seams would open. The snipped tape border folded over the round edge holds best.
What paper works best for a bun paper squishy template?
Plain printer paper (80–100 gsm / 20–24 lb) works best for a soft, pillowy squeeze. Cardstock makes the squishy stiff and the round melon pan will not squish as nicely.
What can I stuff my melon pan squishy with?
You can use plastic grocery bags for a light and crinkly feel, or cotton balls and fiberfill for a soft puff. Small pieces of memory foam also work well if you want a slow-rising bakery squishy.
Can I make the melon pan squishy bigger?
Yes! Print the page at a larger scale, for example 120%, to make a jumbo sweet bun. Just make sure to print the front and the back together on the same sheet so both halves match.
Can I make these with a class or a group?
Yes. Print 1 template sheet per person and cut the tape strips in advance. Kids can color the sweet bun coloring page while you help with taping, so plan about 30 minutes.
More paper squishies to make
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