Mood Octopus

We've all seen those little flip-floppy octopuses that switch moods with a flip of the tentacles...

Well now you can make your own!

• 2 different colors of minke (1/4yrd each should be enough)
• Scrap of black fabric or fabric paint
• Sewing supplies (pins, needle, thread, scissors)

Print the included pattern or sketch out your own with this guide:

For the tentacles draw a circle about 2.5" across. Add a 1/2" tab to the top of the circle, this is where you will attach them to the octopus body.

For the body draw a pointed oval, twice as long as wide, and cut off just below middle point.

Trace out 4 body pieces and 8 tentacle pieces of each color.

Make sure the stretch/pet of your fabric is the same direction for all pieces. the fabric should pet down from the point of all body pieces and from the tab of all tentacles.

Cut out all pieces.

For each tentacle, pin one of each color fabric together, right sides facing.

Sew around, starting from left of lab and working around the curve until you reach the right side of tab.

Turn right-side out and stuff.

Hold tabs of tentacle together and sew together across the base of the tab, against the stuffing.

If you chose a fabric with patterns, lay out your pieces first to line up patterns how you like. I tried to match up the blues of my fabric.

Pin together two pieces and sew together, adding another piece to the other side of one piece and sewing that*.

Pin the final piece and sew as with previous pieces. Sew last side in the same manor.

For your second fabric color, do not sew all four pieces together right away. Sew them in twos. Once you have two pieces (of two pieces) sewn, move on to the next step. This will help with assembling the octopus later,

*The face can be added at this step or in the next. If you want to add now, take your remaining body piece and continue to step 5 before finishing this step.

Option 1: Fabric Paint

The easiest and should be left to the very last step.

Use fabric paint to simply draw on a smile and some eyes to each octopus side. Being sure to let one side completely dry to flip and paint the other.

Option 2: Sewn on

Cut the included face pattern out of black fabric scraps.

Center the face on one body piece and sew on to your liking.

Option 3: Embroidery

With a washable writing utensil, sketch out your faces for each octopus.

Using a backstitch, stitch on the mouths and an outline for each eye.

Fill in the eyes stitching back and forth from left to right and top to bottom.

To assemble the octopus

Pin all the tentacles to your fully assembled head, making sure like fabric and right sides are together

Tack the tentacles in place with a simple stitch around the body. This will allow you to remove the pins and will make assembling the other half a little easier.

Pin the other head halves on top of the tentacles, with right sides touching.

Your octopus should now loosely resemble a peeled banana.

Stitch around the body of your octopus again, sewing through all four layers of fabric to join the two bodies with the tentacles between.

Add stuffing to your octopus, leaving room for 3 fingers to fit to accommodate the other half of the octopus.

So sew your octopus closed, pin on side of the two haves together as you did in step 4 and sew.

For the last opening, flip that octopus body inside out as best you can not and pin up to half of the opening.

Sew together, removing pins as you go.

When you can no longer stitch outside the octopus, return your octopus to right-side-out and continue stitching closed with a ladder stitch.

Once your octopus is sewn, squish the opposite octopus into the other and enjoy your new friend!

To flip to the other side, push the top of your octopus down with your thumbs while flipping over to reveal the other side.