How to Make a Taba Squishy
Craft a soft, ultra-squishy Taba squishy using two-part silicone gel, color pigments, and precision pouring into a silicone mold with a non-stick powder finish.
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🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Digital precision scale
- ✓ Silicone mixing cups
- ✓ Wooden stir sticks
- ✓ Silicone mold
- ✓ Soft makeup brush
- ✓ Nitrile gloves
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Two-part ultra-soft silicone gel (Part A and Part B, Shore 00-20 or 00-30)
- ✓ Silicone liquid pigment or mica powder
- ✓ Flocking powder or baby powder
- ✓ Plastic self-sealing display bag
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Wear nitrile gloves throughout measuring and mixing to prevent uncured silicone from contacting skin.
- • Work on a protected, flat surface in a well-ventilated area away from pets and food prep.
- • Ensure silicone does not get onto clothing or carpets, as uncured silicone is difficult to remove from fabrics.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Prepare Mold and Workspace
Clean the silicone mold thoroughly with rubbing alcohol or tape to remove any lingering dust, hair, or lint. Place the mold onto a completely level, firm surface lined with wax paper or a silicone craft mat. Verify that the mold sits flat so the squishy back cures evenly.
- • Inside cavity of the mold is completely free of dust specks and lint.
- • Mold is resting horizontally flat on a protected work surface.
- • Leaving dust inside the mold, which embeds permanently into the squishy surface.
- • Placing the mold on a slanted surface, leading to an uneven base.
Measure Silicone Parts A and B
Place a silicone mixing cup on the digital scale and tare it to zero. Pour equal parts of Silicone Part A and Silicone Part B according to the manufacturer's exact weight ratio (typically 1:1). Double-check the digital readout before stopping the pour to ensure exact balance.
- • Scale shows exact target weight split equally between Part A and Part B.
- • Both liquid components are clearly layered inside a single clean mixing cup.
- • Eyeballing amounts instead of using a digital scale, which ruins the chemical curing ratio.
- • Using latex gloves instead of nitrile (sulfur in latex inhibits platinum silicone cure).
Add Pigment and Mix Slowly
Add a tiny drop of silicone pigment or a pinch of mica powder using a stir stick. Stir the mixture slowly and steadily in wide circles for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the bottom and sidewalls of the cup. Avoid rapid whipping to prevent introducing micro-bubbles into the mixture.
- • Color is completely uniform with zero streaks or unblended swirls.
- • Sides and bottom of the mixing cup have been cleanly scraped.
- • Stirring too fast and aggressively, whipping excess air bubbles into the thick gel.
- • Using water-based acrylic paint, which contaminates and prevents silicone from curing.
Pour Silicone into the Mold
Hold the cup high above the mold and pour the silicone in a very thin, continuous stream into the lowest point of the mold cavity. Allow the silicone to spread naturally into all crevices rather than moving the stream around. Fill the mold cavity until it reaches flush with the top rim.
- • Mold cavity is filled level to the top edge without overflowing.
- • Thin stream has popped major air bubbles during the fall.
- • Pouring quickly from low height, trapping air pockets in deep mold corners.
- • Overfilling the mold past the rim, creating a thick lip that requires trimming.
Demold the Cured Squishy
Wait the full curing duration (usually 2 to 6 hours depending on silicone brand). Lightly touch the back surface with a gloved finger to confirm it is firm and elastic rather than sticky liquid. Gently roll the silicone mold edges downward and peel the mold back slowly to release the squishy without tearing.
- • Squishy separates cleanly from the mold walls without leaving residue behind.
- • Squishy holds its molded 3D shape completely.
- • Attempting to demold prematurely while the center core is still liquid.
- • Yanking the squishy forcefully, causing delicate ears or thin limbs to snap.
Powder and Seal in Protective Bag
Dip a soft makeup brush into flocking powder, cornstarch, or baby powder and gently dust the entire surface of the squishy. Brush away all excess powder until the squishy feels velvety and no longer tacky to the touch. Place the finished squishy inside a clear plastic self-sealing bag to keep it dust-free while squeezing.
- • Squishy has a smooth, velvety matte finish with no patchy gloss spots.
- • Squishy is sealed securely inside the clear plastic bag without air pillowing.
- • Skipping the powder step, resulting in a squishy that attracts hair and sticks to everything.
- • Leaving heavy white cakey powder clumps in crevices instead of brushing them clear.
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by It’Sarah 💜 — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Digital precision scale? Graduated measuring cups for 1:1 volume measurement
- No Flocking powder? Cornstarch or cosmetic baby powder
- No Silicone pigment? Fine cosmetic mica powder