Octopus Craft: Bright, Crazy Eyed Octopi made from TP Rolls and Old Clothes

Crazy Eyed Octopi

Materials

• Empty toilet paper roll or paper towel roll
• Two different colored construction paper for the eyes--your choice of colors
• Neon, non toxic, washable paint--your choice of color
• Paintbrush
• Scissors--kid safe
• Fabric that goes with (completely your call) eyes and and paint color, about five inches by ten inches--from old clothes, blankets, towels, whatever you don't need anymore. This will be the legs.
• Hole punch
• Glue
• Tape measure or ruler
• Yarn (optional)  

  

  Supplies for octopi

Octopus body

1. Cut off the top two inches of a toilet paper or paper towel roll for the octopus body.

   

   Cut off top two inches of roll

2. Paint the body with your favorite bright (neon) colored paint.

   

   Paint

While the paint dries

1. Trace around the lid of the paint on the colored paper for the eyes.

   

   Trace around the paint lid for a circle for the eyes

2. Use the same lid to trace around for both colors of the eyes. Where you cut will determine the size.

   

   Trace same lid for both colors

3. Cut on the traced circle line for the large part of the eyes. Cut just inside the traced circle for the  small part of the eyes.

   

   Cut on line for big part of eye, cut just inside the line for small part of the eye

4. Before gluing the eyeballs in the larger circle, play with their placement. Placing the eyeballs on the outer edge of the larger eye, gives a going all ways sort of look.

   

   Going all ways eyes

5. Placing the eyeballs looking toward each other makes cross-eyes.

   

   Cross-eyes

6. Placing the eyeballs at the top of the larger eyes, gives a going up sort of look.

   

   Going Up eyes

7. Placing the eyeballs randomly within the bigger eyes, gives a mixed-up sort of look.

   

   Mixed Up eyes

8. Glue the eyeballs in the bigger eyes where you think they look best.

For Knot top legs do the following steps

For Two legs with one strip of fabric, skip these steps and see below

Knot top legs

1. Cut eight strips from your chosen fabric about one half inch wide and five inches long.

   

   Five inch long strips for knot top legs

2. Knot the top of each of these strips.

   

   Knot strips at top

3. When the roll is dry, punch eight holes around the bottom of the octopus.

   

   Punch holes for legs--start with the front, then the back directly behind the front hole, then the sides across from each other, then the last four holes in between the others.

4. Poke the end of the fabric that isn't knotted through the holes from the inside to the outside.

   

   Gently thread strips through holes

5. Pull each strip through carefully. If pulled to hard, the knot could be pulled through, and the legs will fall off.

Two legs with one strip of fabric

Octopi with two legs made from one strip of fabric--they have inner and outter legs

1. Cut four strips from your chosen fabric about one half inch wide and ten inches long.

   

   Four strips, each ten inches long

2. When the roll is dry, punch eight holes around the bottom of the octopus.

   

   Punch holes for legs using one strip of fabric for two legs--start with the front hole, then the back hole, then the sides, then the four holes inbetween the rest

3. Fold the first strip in half and thread the end through two holes next to each other going from the outside in. These are two of the inner legs.

   

   Thread ends from outside in

4. Fold the next strip in half and thread the ends through the next two holes this time going from the inside out. These are two of the outer legs.

   

   Thread ends from inside out

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the last two strips--the last four legs.

Finishing your octopus

1. Glue on eyes.
2. Punch two holes across from each other in the top of the head.

   

   Holes for handle

3. Thread either yarn or a strip of fabric about twelve inches long through the two holes (across the top of the head).
4. Tie at top. This is the handle or hanger with which to carry or display your octopus.

   

   For Handle/Hanger--thread yarn through holes and tie