- Easy
- 20–30 minutes
- No glue
- about 3.9 × 3.8 in (9.9 × 9.6 cm)
Tucked inside a powdery pink rice cake with happy curved eyes and rosy cheeks sits a plump, glossy red strawberry. This free printable mochi paper squishy template makes a puffy pillow measuring about 3.9 × 3.8 in (9.9 × 9.6 cm). Your download comes in both US Letter and A4 sizes and includes 3 versions: ready-to-print color, a line-art coloring page, and a blank outline. Pair it with our dango dumplings squishy for the cutest desktop dessert tray.
What you need
How to make it, step by step
1Print the template
Print your strawberry mochi sheet 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, color the berry, leaves, and soft mochi dough now, then let any marker ink dry completely.
2Tape the pieces
Lay strips of wide clear packing tape over just the two mochi pieces rather than the whole sheet. Smooth each strip from the middle of the pink rice cake outward toward the edges without stretching the tape, because pulled tape will wrinkle later. This glossy coat makes your paper squishy shiny, strong, and extra squishy.
3Cut out both pieces
Cut out the front and the back piece right along the solid outer line. Take your time around the wavy green strawberry leaves at the top and the wide rounded cheeks so the curves stay smooth, and be sure to keep the small white border all the way around.
4Add a tape border to the back
Lay the back mochi piece printed side down on strips of regular clear tape with the sticky side facing up. Cut the tape about 1 cm (½ inch) past the paper edge, then snip this sticky border every 2 cm (1 inch) right up to the paper. These little flaps will hold your rounded mochi together.
5Join front and back
Place the smiling front piece on the back piece with the white sides facing each other. Fold the tape flaps over the front edge one by one and press them down well. Leave a 4 cm (1½ in) gap open along the edge (the pink line in the picture shows where): that is your gap for the stuffing.
6Stuff it
Tear your plastic bags, cotton, or fiberfill into small pieces and push them inside through the gap. Fill the far corners first—tucking bits up into the strawberry top and wide cheeks—and stop when the mochi feels soft and puffy. Packing in too much stuffing makes the taped seams pop.
7Close the gap
Fold the last tape flaps neatly over the opening and tape the gap shut with an extra strip of clear tape. Run your finger firmly along all the edges, from the leafy berry top down around the pink base, to press the tape down well.
8Squish!
Done! Give those rosy mochi cheeks a big squeeze and watch your strawberry treat puff right back up. Want a slow-rising squishy? Prick 1 tiny pinhole into the back of the rice cake so the air escapes gently.
Free Strawberry Mochi 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 squishy feels too hard. If the mochi feels stiff instead of pillowy, it has too much stuffing inside. Open the gap, take some filling out, and tape the edge shut again.
- The tape wrinkles on curves. The rounded strawberry top and chubby cheeks can pucker if the tape is stretched. Use shorter strips of tape and lay them on gently without pulling.
- An edge splits open. If a seam pops along the wide mochi curve, place a new short strip of clear tape right across the edge, overlapping the old ones.
- The marker colors smeared. Bright red and pink marker ink on the coloring page can smudge under the tape. Let markers dry fully before taping; printer ink is fine right away.
Questions
What paper works best for a mochi paper squishy?
Plain printer paper (80–100 gsm / 20–24 lb) gives you the softest squish. Cardstock makes the rounded mochi shape stiff and it won’t squish as nicely.
What can I stuff my mochi paper squishy with?
You can use plastic grocery bags for a light and crinkly feel, or cotton balls and fiberfill for a soft bounce. Small pieces of memory foam also work well for a slow-rising squishy.
Can I use glue instead of tape on the edges?
Not for the edges. Glue doesn’t stick to tape-covered paper, so the seams would open when squeezed. The snipped tape border folded over the edge holds best.
Can I make this mochi paper squishy template bigger?
Yes! Print the page at a larger scale, for example 120%, so the front and the back print together on the same sheet and still match. You can also print our strawberry shortcake squishy at the same scale for a matching berry 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 coloring page while you help with taping.
More paper squishies to make
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