Yarn Octopus with Family Circle

This rainy-day project provides plenty of practice for budding braiders and makes a fun, leggy pal that looks like the love child of a cephalopod and Pippi Longstocking. 

Materials

• Scissors
• Skein of yarn about 100 yards long
• 3-inch Styrofoam ball or a tennis ball

• 5 feet of yarn or ribbon, for tying the braids
• Tacky glue
• Large googly eyes

Instructions 

 

PREPARE THE YARN

 Cut two 10-inch pieces of yarn from the skein. Hold your hands about 3 feet apart and have your child wrap the rest of the skein around them to form one large ring of yarn. Knot one of the 10-inch yarn pieces around the middle of the ring. Place the tied ring on a tabletop and snip both loops

FORM THE HEAD

 Center the knot atop the ball and drape the yarn so that the ball is evenly covered. Knot the other 10-inch piece of yarn just below the ball

 

BRAID THE TENTACLES

 Divide the yarn strands into 8 equal bundles, then braid each one, securing the ends with yarn or ribbon. Glue on the googly eyes.

And you're done!

For more great kids crafts and to see this original tutorial, visit Family Circle

 

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