How to Make a Cotton Taba Squishy
Learn how to create an ultra-soft DIY taba squishy by embedding fluffy cotton into two-part soft liquid silicone for a slow-rising, squishy texture.
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🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Digital precision scale
- ✓ Silicone mixing cups
- ✓ Silicone spatula or stir sticks
- ✓ Silicone mold
- ✓ Soft fluffy powder brush
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Two-part ultra-soft liquid silicone (0-degree or 00-10)
- ✓ Cotton balls or polyester fiberfill
- ✓ Liquid silicone colorant or mica powder
- ✓ Cornstarch or baby powder
- ✓ Clear OPP squishy bag
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Wear nitrile gloves to prevent uncured silicone from contacting skin or causing cure inhibition.
- • Work in a well-ventilated space on a protected silicone craft mat.
- • Keep silicone away from eyes, open flames, and pets.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Shape the Cotton Core
Gently pull apart a cotton ball into light, airy fibers rather than leaving it as a dense wad. Lightly fit the fiber into your chosen silicone mold to check that it leaves at least 3mm of clearance around all edges for silicone encapsulation. Remove the shaped cotton and set it aside on a clean tray.
- • A loose, cloud-like puff of cotton resting next to the empty mold
- • Cotton size visibly allows 3-5mm space on all sides inside the mold cavity
- • Using a tightly compressed cotton ball that silicone cannot penetrate
- • Overfilling the mold so cotton touches the mold walls directly
Measure and Mix Part A and Part B Silicone
Place a silicone cup onto your digital scale, tare it to zero, and pour equal weights of Part A and Part B ultra-soft liquid silicone. Stir smoothly with a silicone spatula for 3 full minutes, scraping the bottom and sides continuously. Avoid whipping vigorously to prevent introducing excessive air bubbles.
- • Clear or uniform liquid silicone with no visible striations or swirls
- • Scale confirms exact 1:1 weight ratio
- • Eyeballing volumes instead of using a digital weight scale
- • Stirring too fast and creating a frothy, aerated mixture
Add Colorant and Pour Base Layer
Add 1 to 2 drops of silicone pigment to the mixture and fold until the color is completely uniform. Pour a thin 3mm base layer of silicone into the bottom of the mold. Tilt the mold slightly to ensure the liquid fills all fine details and crevices at the base.
- • Evenly colored liquid coating the bottom details of the mold cavity
- • No dry patches in the mold crevices
- • Using water-based acrylic paint which ruins silicone curing
- • Pouring too thick a base layer, leaving no room for the cotton core
Embed and Saturate Cotton Core
Place the fluffed cotton gently into the center of the mold on top of the wet base layer. Slowly pour the remaining silicone directly over the center of the cotton, letting it soak downward. Use your stir stick to gently press the cotton down, coaxing trapped air out until all fibers are submerged under the silicone surface.
- • Cotton is completely translucent and submerged under a glossy top layer of silicone
- • Air bubbles rising and popping at the surface
- • Leaving dry pockets of cotton exposed above the silicone level
- • Pressing the cotton too hard against the mold floor
Cure and Demold the Taba Squishy
Leave the mold undisturbed on a flat, level surface for 3 to 4 hours until fully cured and firm to the touch. Gently peel the edges of the mold away from the squishy, rolling the silicone mold down slowly rather than pulling hard. The squishy should release cleanly with a very tacky, jelly-like surface.
- • Surface does not leave residue on a gloved fingertip
- • Squishy releases smoothly from mold without tearing
- • Attempting to demold prematurely while the center is still gelled
- • Yanking the squishy out aggressively, ripping the soft silicone
Powder and Package
Place the demolded squishy on a clean mat and use a soft makeup brush to dust a light layer of cornstarch or baby powder over all sides. Tap off any excess powder until the squishy feels velvety and no longer aggressively sticky. Slide the finished taba squishy into a clear OPP bag to keep it clean and preserve its squish texture.
- • Matte, silky surface that does not stick to fingers
- • Squishy sealed inside clear plastic bag ready for squeezing
- • Applying too much powder, turning the colored squishy chalky white
- • Handling a tacky squishy on a dusty or lint-filled table
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by It’Sarah 💜 — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Two-part liquid silicone? Clear 100% silicone caulk mixed with a drop of mineral oil (budget alternative)
- No Digital precision scale? Graduated silicone measuring cups with milliliter markings
- No Silicone colorant? Dry mica powder or oil-based pigment paste