- Easy
- 20–30 minutes
- No glue
- about 3.9 × 3.7 in (9.9 × 9.4 cm)
With a playful wink, a tiny floating heart, and its pink tongue sticking right out, this silly face emoji paper squishy brings instant good vibes to your desk. Download the free PDF to get 3 printable versions in both US Letter and A4: the peachy-pink color design, a coloring page, and a blank circle to draw your own goofy expression. Pair it with our heart eyes smiley squishy for a matching reaction set!
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your silly face template at 100% scale on plain printer paper, making sure “fit to page” is turned off. Check the scale line in the top corner—it should measure exactly 2 inches (50 mm on A4). If you picked the coloring page or blank circle, color the winking face, rosy cheeks, and little heart now, then let any marker ink dry completely before moving on.
2Tape the pieces
Cover just the front and back circle pieces with wide clear packing tape rather than taping the entire sheet. Smooth each strip down from the middle of the goofy face outward, laying the tape flat without pulling—stretched tape causes wrinkles later. This glossy layer protects your drawing and makes the paper strong and extra squishy.
3Cut out both pieces
Use your scissors to cut out the front winking face and the matching round back piece right along the solid black outer line. Turn the paper smoothly as you cut around the circle, and be sure to keep the small white border intact all the way around both pieces.
4Add a tape border to the back
Lay the round back piece printed side down onto strips of clear tape so the sticky side faces up around the rim. Cut the excess tape about 1 cm (½ inch) past the paper edge. Snip into this sticky border every 2 cm (1 inch) right up to the paper to create small flaps that will hold your curved squishy together.
5Join front and back
Place the front silly face on the back piece with the plain white sides together. Fold the tape flaps over the curved front edge one by one and press them down firmly so the circle stays smooth. Leave a gap of about 4 cm (1½ in) open along the edge as shown by the pink line in the picture so you have room for the stuffing.
6Stuff it
Tear plastic bags, cotton, or fiberfill into small pieces and push them inside through the open gap. Fill the far edges by the winking eye and heart first, then fill out the rosy cheeks until the pillow feels soft and puffy. Stop before it gets overly tight because too much stuffing makes the curved seams pop.
7Close the gap
Fold the last tape flaps neatly over the open edge of the face and tape the gap shut with an extra strip of clear tape. Run your finger all the way along the circular edges to press the tape down well and lock the stuffing inside.
8Squish!
Done! Give the chubby cheeks on your silly face paper squishy a big squeeze and watch it puff right back up. Want a slow-rising squishy? Gently prick 1 tiny pinhole in the back piece so the air escapes more slowly.
Free Silly Face 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
- Keep thefront tape wrinkle-free. If the clear tape bunches across the wide round face, use shorter strips and lay them down smoothly without pulling or stretching.
- My squishy feels too hard. If the cheeks feel stiff instead of bouncy, there is too much stuffing inside. Gently open the gap, take some filling out, and tape the edge shut again.
- Smudged eyes or blush marks. Dark markers on the winking eye and bright pink ink on the tongue can smear if taped while damp. Let markers dry fully before taping, though printer ink is fine right away.
- An edge splits open. If a seam opens along the curved rim after lots of squeezing, place a new short strip of clear tape right across the edge, overlapping the old ones.
Questions
What are some fun emoji paper squishy ideas using this template?
You can print the coloring page and give the silly face classic bright yellow skin, or use the blank circle template to draw your own expressions like starry eyes or a laughing grin. To build a whole collection, craft a poop swirl squishy next!
What paper works best for a paper squishy face?
Plain printer paper (80–100 gsm / 20–24 lb) works best because it folds easily into a puffy round pillow. Cardstock makes the squishy stiff and it won’t squish as nicely.
Can I use glue instead of tape to close the circle?
Not for the edges. Glue doesn’t stick to tape-covered paper, so the curved seams would open right up. The snipped tape border folded over the edge holds best.
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 it soft. You can also use small pieces of memory foam for a slow-rising squishy.
How big is the finished silly face squishy, and can I make it bigger?
Printed at 100%, this squishy measures about 3.9 × 3.7 in (9.9 × 9.4 cm) and takes about 30 minutes to make, even with a group. To make it bigger, print the page at a larger scale like 120% so the front and back grow together on the same sheet and still match.
More paper squishies to make
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