Kids Crafts · Squishy Toys · Handmade Gifts
How to Make DIY Squishy Toy Gadgets — Craft Your Own Plush Phone, Tablet & Laptop from Scratch
BuildsPhone · Tablet · Laptop
Total Cost$5 – $15
Total Time2 – 3 hours
Skill Level★☆☆☆☆ Beginner
Overview
This three-part craft project walks through building a complete set of squishy toy gadgets — a plush toy phone, a padded toy tablet, and a stuffed toy laptop — from everyday craft supplies. The builds use cardboard for structure, cotton fiberfill for that signature squishy feel, and markers and stickers for decoration. The result is a set of charming handmade toys that look like miniature tech products and double as satisfying stress relievers.
Each build follows the same core method: draw, cut, stuff, and seal. Once you have the technique down from the first build, the second and third come together quickly. The optional packaging box turns any one of the three into a ready-to-gift present.
Squishy Toy Phone
Cardboard frame, cotton stuffing, marker screen design, sticker accents
Squishy Toy Tablet
Larger body, side-button detail, optional fabric case cover
Squishy Toy Laptop
Hinged keyboard + screen lid, stuffed both halves, tape-hinge opening
Custom Gift Box
Craft cardboard box with product-style decoration — makes any build giftable
Screen Art
Hand-drawn app icons, wallpapers, and status bars using fine-tip markers
No Special Tools
Scissors, ruler, tape, and markers are all you need for all three builds
Materials List
All supplies are available at craft stores, dollar stores, or from household offcuts. Items marked ✦ are used across multiple builds.
✦ Thin craft cardboard or heavy card stock
✦ Cotton fiberfill (pillow or toy stuffing)
✦ Clear adhesive tape
✦ Decorative washi tape (various colours)
✦ Fine-tip markers (black + colours)
✦ Sticker sheets (stars, icons, shapes)
Fabric or felt sheet (tablet case)
Craft glue or hot glue gun
Scissors + ruler + pencil
Metallic or silver tape (laptop edging)
Corrugated cardboard (for gift box)
Cutting mat (optional, protects surfaces)
Reference Video
Source: YouTube · For educational reference only
Build Guide
The toy phone is the foundation build — the technique you learn here carries directly into the tablet and laptop. The key is getting the screen art right before sealing the panels, because once the stuffing is in and the edges are taped shut, there is no going back.
Step 1 — Design and cut the body panels
- 1On craft cardboard, sketch a smartphone outline in pencil — rounded corners, approximately 14 cm tall by 7 cm wide. Cut two identical pieces: one for the front and one for the back.
- 2Mark a small circle near the top of the front panel for the front camera, and a thin slot for the speaker grille. These details make the design instantly recognisable as a phone.
Step 2 — Draw the screen and UI details
- 1Draw the screen boundary on the front panel — leave a thin bezel on all four sides. Fill the screen with a scene: a simple wallpaper, a grid of app icons, or a status bar at the top and a dock at the bottom.
- 2Use fine-tip black marker for outlines, then colour in with coloured markers. Keep the colour palette limited to two or three tones for a clean result.
- 3Add stickers for the camera cluster on the back panel — circular stickers in different sizes layered together are convincing as a camera module.
Step 3 — Stuff and seal
- 1Place the front panel face-down on your work surface. Pile a generous layer of cotton fiberfill in the centre — more than you think you need, as it compresses when the panels are pressed together.
- 2Place the back panel on top, face outward. Press the edges together firmly to flatten the stuffing toward the centre.
- 3Run a strip of clear tape along each edge, folding it neatly around the corner. Overlap the tape at each corner by about 1 cm to prevent gaps. Press firmly along the full length of each sealed edge.
Step 4 — Frame and finishing
- 1Run a strip of decorative washi tape around the outer frame as a border — this hides the plain tape edge and adds a polished finish.
- 2Press the toy phone all over to check the squish. The stuffing should compress and spring back evenly. If one area feels flat, carefully peel the edge tape, add more fiberfill, and reseal.
Tip
Draw your screen design before cutting out the panels — it is much easier to work on a flat sheet than on a shaped cutout. Cut out the panel afterwards and you will get cleaner results with less smudging.
The tablet follows the same core process as the phone but at a larger scale, which makes the screen illustration more visible and the finished toy more satisfying to squish. The optional fabric case cover elevates the result significantly — a single piece of felt folded around the tablet and secured with tape takes only a few extra minutes.
Step 1 — Cut and illustrate the body
- 1Cut two identical rectangles from craft cardboard — approximately 20 cm tall by 13 cm wide, with gently rounded corners. The larger surface gives you more room for screen artwork.
- 2On the front panel, draw a large screen area with thin bezels on three sides and a slightly wider bottom bezel. Add a small front-camera dot at the top centre. Fill the screen with a colourful wallpaper or app grid.
- 3On the narrow edge of one panel (this will be the right side), draw the power button and volume rocker — two thin rectangles stacked vertically. A small circle at the bottom can represent a charging port.
Step 2 — Stuff and seal
- 1Because the tablet has a larger surface, use approximately twice the amount of fiberfill used for the phone. Spread it evenly across the full panel before placing the second piece on top.
- 2Seal all four edges with tape, working one side at a time. At each corner, cut a small diagonal snip in the tape to allow it to fold neatly around the curve without bunching.
Step 3 — Add a fabric case (optional)
- 1Cut a rectangle of fabric or felt approximately 3 cm larger than the tablet on all sides. Lay the tablet in the centre of the fabric.
- 2Fold the fabric up over the back of the tablet like wrapping a gift, pressing the corners flat. Secure with a strip of tape along the back fold.
- 3Leave the front open so the screen illustration is visible. The fabric edge creates a natural frame around the screen that looks like a genuine tablet case.
Tip
A contrasting fabric colour for the case — navy with a white screen panel, or sage green with a cream screen — gives the finished toy a more intentional, product-like look. Patterned fabric works well too; just keep the screen illustration itself in clean solid colours so it reads clearly against a busy case.
The laptop is the most complex of the three builds because it has two separately stuffed halves — a keyboard deck and a screen lid — joined by a flexible tape hinge. The hinge is the key detail: it allows the toy to open and close like a real laptop. The keyboard illustration is the most time-consuming part, but it is also the most rewarding once complete.
Step 1 — Build the keyboard deck
- 1Cut two rectangles for the keyboard half — approximately 24 cm wide by 16 cm tall. On the front (upper) piece, use a ruler and fine-tip black marker to draw a grid of keys. Work in rows: function key row at the top, then number row, then three rows of letter keys, then space bar row.
- 2Label each key with its letter or symbol. Fill the key grid background with light grey, leaving the key outlines white. Draw a trackpad rectangle below the keyboard, slightly darker than the surrounding deck.
- 3Stuff the keyboard half with fiberfill and seal with tape as before. The keyboard section should be slightly thinner than the screen lid — less stuffing here gives a more realistic profile.
Step 2 — Build the screen lid
- 1Cut two more rectangles the same size as the keyboard deck. On the front piece, draw a large screen with thin bezels and a small webcam dot centred at the top bezel.
- 2Fill the screen with a colourful wallpaper illustration — a landscape, geometric shapes, or abstract colour blocks all look striking. Add a status bar across the top with a clock, Wi-Fi symbol, and battery icon.
- 3Stuff the screen lid with more fiberfill than the keyboard deck for a puffier, more cushion-like lid. Seal all edges.
Step 3 — Join with a tape hinge
- 1Place the two halves face-up with the long edges touching at the point where the hinge line will be — the back edge of the keyboard aligning with the bottom edge of the screen lid.
- 2Cut a strip of wide, strong tape the full width of the back edge. Press it firmly across the join on the top surface, then fold the tail down and press it to the underside of both halves. This creates a flexible hinge.
- 3Open and close the laptop gently several times to confirm the hinge flexes cleanly. Add a second strip of tape on the underside of the hinge for extra strength.
Step 4 — Finishing details
- 1Apply stickers to the keyboard keys to make the most-used keys stand out — coloured dots or letter stickers work well.
- 2Run a strip of metallic or silver tape along the outer frame edges of both halves for a laptop-like brushed aluminium border effect.
- 3Add a logo sticker or drawn icon to the back of the screen lid — centred and positioned as it would be on a real device.
Tip
Drawing the keyboard grid freehand takes patience but is not as difficult as it looks. Start by ruling horizontal lines for each row, then divide each row into key-sized segments. Having consistent key widths across each row makes the finished keyboard look professional even without perfectly straight lines.
A custom box transforms any of the three finished gadget toys from a craft project into a proper gift. The box design mimics real product packaging — a bold product name, an image of the toy, and a colour-coordinated background. Corrugated cardboard gives the box enough rigidity to hold its shape without collapsing.
Step-by-step
- 1Measure the finished toy and add 1.5 cm to each dimension for a snug fit. Mark the box net on corrugated cardboard: a base, four side panels, and a lid panel.
- 2Score all fold lines with a ruler and a blunt tool before folding — this prevents the cardboard from buckling at the corners.
- 3Fold the panels into box shape and secure the corner joins with craft glue or hot glue. Allow to dry flat under a heavy book to keep the base square.
- 4Decorate the outside: write the toy's name in bold lettering, draw an image of the gadget, and colour the background. A clean white label on one face mimics a real box spec panel.
- 5Fold the lid panel down and secure with a small sticker seal — this is the final presentation touch that makes the box feel like a genuine product.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age is this craft suitable for?
These projects are well-suited to children aged 6 and above. Younger children enjoy the colouring and sticker stages most, while older children and adults can handle the full build including stuffing and edge sealing. Hot glue guns should only be used by adults or supervised older children — clear craft tape and regular craft glue are safe alternatives throughout.
What type of cardboard works best?
Thin craft cardboard or heavy card stock works best for the gadget body panels — it is rigid enough to hold its shape as a frame but easy to cut cleanly with scissors. Avoid corrugated cardboard for the face panels, as the ridged texture makes edges look uneven. Corrugated card works well for the gift box, where its structural rigidity is an advantage.
What can I use instead of cotton fiberfill?
Cotton fiberfill is ideal because it compresses and springs back, giving the true squishy texture. Good alternatives include foam offcuts (firmer, less squishy but very durable), crumpled tissue paper (lightweight and easy to source), or the stuffing pulled from an old pillow. Avoid materials that clump when compressed, as they create an uneven feel.
How do I make the screen illustration look more realistic?
The most impactful detail is a thin status bar at the top of the screen with a clock time, signal bars, and battery icon — these small elements are instantly recognisable as a real device screen. For the laptop keyboard, using a ruler to keep key rows straight makes the grid look deliberate rather than freehand. Metallic or silver tape around the device frame adds a convincing hardware border.
Can I make a gift box for the finished toy?
Yes — and it is highly recommended. A custom box turns the finished toy into a ready-to-gift present with almost no extra effort. Measure the toy, add 1.5 cm on each side, mark and score the box net on corrugated cardboard, fold and glue it, then decorate the outside as a product box. A sticker seal on the lid is the final touch that makes it feel like a real package.
Which gadget are you making first? Share your build photos, tips, or questions below.