How to Make Your Own Octopus Plushie

Ever wanted to have a Cephalopod friend of your own without the fear of getting water all over the place or it escaping from your fish tank with ease? Well, now you can! Within this project are simple steps to make your very own Octo-companion!

What you will need:

• Solid color T-shirt(Of any color)
• Long striped socks (Similar to the color of the T-shirt)
• Black and White felt
• Black and White thread (As well as another spool of thread that matches the color of the T-shirt)
• Needle
• Poly-Fil
• Cotton Balls
• Scissors
• Rubber bands (Or hair bands, as I used for this project)
• Black and White Charcoal
• Pencil
• Safety Pins
• Sewing Pins

Lay your T-shirt out and with Poly-Fil, stuff the insides of the T-shirt until you achieve a desirable size for the head. With the mound of Poly-Fil inside the middle of the shirt, grab both ends of the shirt, put together, and twist it. You will want to make sure that you create a spherical shape out of the mound. Secure tightly with a rubber band between the mound and T-shirt.

Ensure that the mound is of a good spherical shape and slightly below the rubber band, begin sewing around the mound a few times. This is to keep the head secure and closed once the rubber band is removed.

After sewing, cut off the fabric and remove the rubber band.

With a pencil (or black charcoal), draw an outline of a large circle on white felt and cut it out. Place cutout on another part of the felt and secure with a safety pin. Cut around the cutout to make an additional large circle.

With white charcoal, draw an outline for a slightly smaller circle on black felt and cut it out. Like with the previous cutout, place on another part of the felt and secure with a safety pin, cutting out another circle.

On the head of the octopus, place the white felt on each side of the head and secure with a safety pin. With white thread, sew on the felt.

Next, place the black felt on top of the white felt, except this time using sewing pins to ensure the "pupils" stay in place. With black thread, sew the "pupils" onto the "eyes".

With a pair of striped socks, cut off the foot ends and the top part of the socks. Next, cut both pairs in half to make 4 identically shaped rectangles. Cut each of the 4 rectangles down the middle vertically to make 8 "tentacles". Turn the tentacles inside out, secure each with a few safety pins, and sew up each tentacle.

When sewing, make sure to sew one end of the tentacle closed.

Once all of the tentacles have been sewed, turn them inside out once again and begin stuffing.

If preferred, you may stuff the tentacles first with a couple of pieces of cotton ball to make the tips of it a bit more rigid.

Once all the tentacles have been stuffed, divide them into two sets of four and flip over the octopus head, securing each flap opening of the tentacle with a safety pin.

With thread, sew on each tentacle and remove safety pins once finished.

And here is the finished result...your very own octopus friend!

Feel free to have it hang out with you on your bed, around home, or even have it come along with you on your adventures! :)