Toy Octopus Yarn Doll. No Sewing.

Fabrication is quick and easy. It's a great starting craft project, requiring braids and knots, but no sewing. Little in this project is critical, use what's to hand. It's a wonderful gift for a loved one, perfect for Valentine's day, too!

Materials

• Assorted yarn (we used four different colors)
• Ping pong ball (approximately 1.6" diameter)
• Scotch tape (or equivalent matt finish sticky tape - NOT shiny)
• Black and white felt
• Clear fabric glue
• Optional heart shaped craft frame (not needed for the toy itself)

Tools

• Sheet of card, maybe 22" long
• Scissors
• Twist ties
• Black and white marking pens/pencils
• Two different sized buttons (maybe ⅝" and ⅜" diameters)

Wind two strips of yarn, side-by-side, around the 22" card. Make 48 turns. Carefully pull the windings from the card and cut from the skeins (balls of yarn).

Cut an 8" length of yarn from a skein. Use it to tie off about 2½" from one end of the windings. Use a double knot and then snip the excess.

Cover the ping pong ball with the matt finish sticky tape. A smooth tape would be too slippery. Insert the covered ping pong ball into the windings at the hair end. Temporarily use a twist tie to hold it in place, then use another 8" length of yarn to tie off the ball, holding it tightly in place. Double knot and trim the excess. Remove the twist tie.

Cut the windings at the end opposite the head, then separate the threads into eight equal bundles - 24 threads per bundle. For each bundle, use a twist tie to hold the threads together (about 3" from the end).

Use a weight to anchor the hair (here using a stack of books). One tentacle at a time, remove the twist tie, braid, then tie off with a 4" length of yarn. Double knot and trim the excess.

Cut back the free/loose threads at the end of the tentacles. Leave about 1½" as tassels.

Cut the windings at the hair end, then tidy up the ends (giving it a "hair cut").

Use the larger button and black pen to mark out two eye whites on the white felt. Likewise, use the smaller button and white pencil to mark out the pupils on the black felt. Also, using the white pencil, mark out the smiley mouth on the black felt. Carefully cut these components from the felt.

Glue the pupils to the eye whites, making the eyes. When dry, glue the eyes and the mouth to the head. Pay attention to symmetry and placement.

Now on to the optional mount for two octopi.

Use multiple threads of yarn to tether the craft frame, knotting it along its length. Insert the two octopi into the frame. If sized correctly, the octopi should fit tightly enough to not require any additional attachment.