Yarn Octopus (with Video)
A fun DIY toy kids can make, this Easy Yarn Octopus craft was the perfect rainy day activity for my craft-loving girl and makes a fun homemade gift for a little kid (or big kid) who loves all things sea life!
DIY Yarn Octopus Craft
Ella recently learned how to braid and wants to practicing her braiding skills all the time – especially with mama’s curly hair.
After subjecting myself to another painful hairstyling by the young braiding master, I suggested we try a braiding craft instead.
This super simple yarn octopus craft is the perfect opportunity for kids to practice their braiding skills and the result is the cutest little octopus toy that they can actually play with afterwards – or give as a thoughtful, homemade gift to a friend.
I liked the look of our octopus having multiple tentacles (I think he ended up with something like 20 braided tentacles), but you can double or triple up your lengths of yarn while braiding to ensure that your octopus has the correct number of legs (8).
This DIY yarn octopus craft would be perfect for a family movie night, like a Little Mermaid Movie Night or Finding Nemo movie night.
A hack for cutting equal lengths of yarn: wind the yarn around an object that is either the desired length of the yarn or half of the length. I used a piece of bristol board/poster board and cut the yarn at the edges once I had wound the yarn around it. (You can see this hack in action on our Rapunzel Yarn Braid post.)
You can replace the handful of cotton balls we used to form the head with a soft ball or even a styrofoam ball.
I also found this cute Fleece Octopus craft which would be an easier version for younger crafters as my daughter found covering the Octopus’ head with yarn a bit hard, and she does crafts all.the.time. (I just helped with that part, as you can see in the video – so use whatever you have on hand.)
You can add whatever embellishments to make your octopus truly unique:
- a little top hat or maybe a little crown
- sew or glue mini felt fish to his tentacles
- tie small ribbons to each braid for a fancy octopus
- glue on little beads or acrylic gems for a blinged out octopus
- make a yarn pom-pom to top off your octopus to give it some hair
- make a GIANT version of this octopus using longer lengths of yarn, a larger ball for the head and thicker braids
Check out our quick video to see how we made our DIY Yarn Octopus – and then don’t forget to scroll down to grab your free printable instructions:
More Yarn Crafts for Kids:
- Rainbow Macrame Wall Decor
- Rapunzel Yarn Braid Headband
- Rainbow Tassel Mobile Wall Art (with Video)
- DIY Pom-Pom Love Bugs
- DIY Paper Plate Loom: Rainbow Yarn Art
Materials to Make a Yarn Octopus
- Yarn in at least two colors <– we used a light seafoam green and sky blue
- Cotton Balls <– can replace with a soft ball or styrofoam ball
- Scissors <– these are the ones we have and they have lasted for years in our daycare, and unlike some other safety scissors – they actually cut things!
- Hot Glue Gun
- Googley Eyes
Tip: add additional embellishments to your octopus to make it truly unique.
How to Make a Yarn Octopus
Cut several lengths of yarn (at least 24) in equal 2 foot lengths. You will need a number that is divisible by 3. We used 84 lengths of string for our craft.
Lay the yarn on a large surface in a starburst pattern.
Place the cotton balls underneath the center of the starburst and use your hand to gather the yarn around the cotton, forming the head of the octopus.
Cut another, smaller length of yarn to secure the head by looping around the base a couple of times and then tying securely in a double knot.
Starting braiding the octopus tentacles, using three lengths of yarn for each braid. Tie off the end of each braid securely. (If you only want your octopus to have 8 tentacles, you may need to double or triple up each length of yarn when braiding.)
Once you have braided all of the yarn to form the octopus tentacles, use scissors to trim the edges evenly.
If desired, use a hot glue gun or fabric glue to attach googly eyes to your octopus.
Allow eyes to dry completely before playing.
Pin this Easy Yarn Octopus for a fun Under the Sea craft for budding braiders:
Grab your free printable instructions for our yarn octopus stuffie:
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Yarn Octopus
How to make a Yarn Octopus, a fun DIY stuffie that kids can make! If they can braid, they can make this super cute Octopus craft which also makes a fun homemade gift for a friend.
Materials
- Yarn in at least two colors
- Cotton Balls
- Googley Eyes
Tools
- Scissors
- Hot Glue Gun
Instructions
- Cut several lengths of yarn (at least 24) in equal 2 foot lengths. You will need a number that is divisible by 3. We used 84 lengths of string for our craft.
- Lay the yarn on a large surface in a starburst pattern.
- Place the cotton balls underneath the center of the starburst and use your hand to gather the yarn around the cotton, forming the head of the octopus.
- Cut another, smaller length of yarn to secure the head by looping around the base a couple of times and then tying securely in a double knot.
- Starting braiding the octopus tentacles, using three lengths of yarn for each braid. Tie off the end of each braid securely. (If you only want your octopus to have 8 tentacles, you may need to double or triple up each length of yarn when braiding.)
- Once you have braided all of the yarn to form the octopus tentacles, use scissors to trim the edges evenly.
- If desired, use a hot glue gun or fabric glue to attach googly eyes to your octopus.
- Allow eyes to dry completely before playing.
Notes
You can replace the cotton balls with a soft ball or styrofoam ball.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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DECORA 500 Pieces 6mm -12mm Black Wiggle Googly Eyes with Self-Adhesive -
DecorRack 300 Small Cotton Balls for Make-Up, Nail Polish Removal, Applying Oil Lotion or Powder, Multi-Purpose Balls Made from 100% Natural Cotton, Soft and Absorbent for Household Needs (300 Count)
-
TYH Supplies 20-Pack 22 Yard Acrylic Yarn Assorted Colors Skeins - Perfect for Mini Knitting and Crochet Project
I hope your kids love getting to make their own DIY octopus toy – and then getting to make up some magical stories to play with them!
For more easy crafts for kids, check out our full kids’ craft collection here:
For more handmade toys, check out our full homemade toy collection here:
