Today, I’m showing you how to make your very own DIY Kawaii Milk Carton Paper Squishy using my free printable templates. It’s the perfect "crafternoon" project for kids, teens, and even adults who need a little bit of relaxation!
The Benefits and Uses of Squishies
Squishies are cute, but they can actually serve a purpose!
They are great for relaxing and releasing tension during a long day, and they make excellent fidget toys for anyone who needs to keep their hands busy to stay focused.
They look adorable as handmade desk decor or personalized gifts for friends.
My daughter enjoys playing with them exactly like any other toy. She throws them tea parties and they have camp outs!
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How to Make a Milk Carton Paper Squishy
Ready to make your own "legend-dairy" friend? Follow the steps below!
Supplies Needed:
- Your milk squishy template (Download below—I’ve included both a pre-colored blue version and a black-and-white version to color yourself!)
- White paper (Cardstock is a bit too stiff for this, but I do prefer to use a heavier weight printer paper.)
- Markers or colored pencils (If using the B&W version)
- Clear contact paper (This is my favorite way to "laminate" the paper! It’s easier to apply than many small strips of tape and stays smoother.)
- Clear packing tape (For sealing the edges)
- Scissors
- Stuffing (You can use polyester fiberfill, cotton balls, or even crumpled-up plastic grocery bags for a "crunchy" feel!)
Step-by-Step Instructions for Making a DIY Milk Carton Squishy
I recommend watching the tutorial video to see the process in action. It's a lot easier to understand what's going on when you can see it!
If you'd prefer to read the written steps, I'm providing that, too.
First, grab your free printable! I have a pre-colored blue milk carton featuring a cute cow (perfect if you want to get straight to the squishing!) and a black-and-white version if you want to design your own strawberry, chocolate, or banana milk.
If you printed the black-and-white version, color in your front and back pieces. Give your cow some fun spots or make the carton your favorite color!
Cut out the font and back milk carton pieces.
Place your milk carton pieces face down on the backing side of your contact paper.
Trace exactly around the back piece, but give at least .5" extra contact paper around the front piece except for right along the bottom.
Cut out the pieces of contact paper and set the back piece aside for now.
Peel the backing off the front side piece of contact paper.
Place the front of the milk carton face down on the contact paper, making sure to line up the bottom so it's flush with the edge of the contact paper. This creates a gap for stuffing the squishy.
My contact paper messed up and I had to re-position it. If any of the images look blurry, it's because the contact paper pulled up a bit of the laser printer toner on my print out. Eek!
Cut tabs into the excess contact paper to make folding the edges over possible. I usually make cuts every .5" or so.
Place the back milk carton on top of the laminated front piece. Place the two pieces wrong sides together, right sides out. Align the edges as closely as possible.
Fold over the tabs to secure the back portion in place.
Peel the paper off the back piece of contact paper. "Laminate" the back milk carton piece.
You should have a nice little gap in the bottom of the milk carton. Use this gap to fill the squishy with stuffing.
Use enough to make it puffy, but don't overstuff Ito r you won't be able to close it up.
Once it’s nice and plush, tape the remaining hole shut. Check for any air gaps and reinforce them with extra tape if needed.
That's it! Your cute milk carton squishy is ready to play with.
Free Printable Milk Carton Template PDF Download Area
These free printables are licensed for personal use, including classroom use, use with summer camps, therapy clients, library activities, etc.
You are not licensed to sell or redistribute the files or print outs to others. Please refer them to this post to download their own copy of the PDF!
If you agree to these terms of use, you may click below:
I hope you enjoy this DIY project as much as I do! Don't forget to share your creations on my Facebook page.
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