Dive Deep with Octopus Crafts for kids

by Karen & Grace Morris

It's time to get our swimming gear on and create some octopus crafts for kids. Not sure why you'll need the swimming gear, though…

Click the pictures to go to the individual octopus crafts for kids.

Well, you will need to gather some paper cups, beads, paper, and a few other items to make these super-smart creatures. No, seriously! These guys are really intelligent. 

octopus crafts for kids

2 Paper Cup Octopus Crafts for Kids

Here are two different ways to use the paper cups to make octopus crafts for kids.

Make a Cute Creature With a Cup and Beads

beaded octopus

Here is an octopus craft for kids who want to play a game. You can count how many beads to make each arm.

You will need;

  • 3 oz paper cup
  • A small piece of tissue paper
  • Cotton ball (triple size)
  • Tape
  • Craft string
  • 88 pony beads
  • Small pieces of red and black paper
cut cup add cotton

Cut the top off a small cup. Some cups have a line near the bottom that can be used as your cut line. You will want the cup to be about 5/8 inches tall. Glue a cotton ball on the bottom.

cover with tissue paper

Cover the cup with pink tissue paper (or any color you like). The tissue should extend beyond the bottom of the cup about 1 inch.

tape ends

Pinch the ends of the tissue together and secure with tape.

use a hole punch

With a hole punch, make eight holes in the side of the cup. 

beads

Count out 88 beads.

add first bead

Cut a piece of string 12 inches long. Place one bead in the center of the string.

add more beads

Hold both ends of the string together and thread through the next bead. Continue threading beads onto your doubled string until you have nine beads. (The first bead does not count).

add one more bead

Take another bead. Thread one end through one side of the bead. Then take the other thread and place it through the opposite side of the bead. Tie the ends together.

put arm on octopus

Now thread the string through one of the holes on the cup. Make a knot to secure.

almost finished

Continue until you have eight arms.

add face

Hole punch two black eyes out of black paper. Cut a mouth shape out of red paper. Glue to the cup.

Make One with Knotted Arms

knotted arm octopus

Some octopuses love to play! Especially tug of war. Although it would be a lot of arms to go up against!

You will need;

  • 3 oz paper cup
  • Hole punch
  • Yarn
  • Streamer
  • Glue stick
  • Wiggly eyes
make 8 holes in the cup

Punch eight holes equally spaced near the rim of the cup. 

attach the yarn

Cut sixteen pieces of yarn 24 inches.

Take a piece of yarn and fold it in half. Thread the looped end through a hole in the cup. Thread the cut ends around the rim of the cup and through the loop.

Do the same with another piece of yarn in the same hole. You should have four strands of yarn in one hole.

knot the yarn

Take two pieces of yarn and tie them to the other two pieces so that you make a knot. 

continue knotting until your reach the end

Continue to knot the yarn until you reach the end. Pull the ends of the yarn so that the knot end is secure.

do the other 7 arms

Do the same with the other seven holes. 

add the streamer

When you have made all the octopus' arms, cut a piece of streamer that will fit around the cup.

With a glue stick, glue the streamer to the cup. 

Cut a piece of streamer that will cover the top of the cup. Glue to the top. Trim the excess pieces off.

add eyes

Add wiggly eyes.

Make One with Pipe Cleaner Arms

pipe cleaner octopus

Did you know that “octo” means eight in Latin? That's why we call these amazing sea creatures “octopuses” because they have eight arms.

Supplies;

  • Large wooden bead
  • Four 12 inch pipe cleaners
bend 4 pipe cleaners in half

Fold the pipe cleaners in half. 

push the folded pipe cleaners into the bead

Push the folded ends in the hole in the bead.

bend the arms

Bend the eight ends out. Make curves in each end so that it looks like the arms of the octopus.

The Paper Party Octopus Craft

paper octopus

Many octopuses can change their colors to camouflage into their surroundings. Kind of like the character Hank in the movie “Finding Dory”.

You will need;

  • Construction paper
  • Streamers
  • Scissors
  • Glue stick
  • Wiggly eyes
draw your shape

Fold a 9 by 12 inch piece of construction paper in half. Fold in half again the other way.

Draw a line to round the corners. Cut on the line. 

unfold your paper

Unfold, you should have half of a circle.

make the arms

Cut 8 pieces of streamer 6 inches long. With scissors round one end.

glue the arms to the back

Space the streamer pieces on the sides and bottom of the straight edge of the construction paper. Use a glue stick to glue the leg pieces down.

add the face

Turn over and add wiggly eyes. Cut a mouth from red construction paper. Glue to the front.

These amazing sea creatures can get through tight spaces. Sometimes they escape their aquarium to go to another one to find food. I would keep an eye on your octopus crafts for kids!

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