How to… make an Octopus out of Kids’ Tights

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Oh hello hello hello! I am sooo pleased about today’s How To… it again, has been brewing for quite a few months now, whilst I figured out “how to” actually do it: 4 pairs of tights converted into a cuddly Octopus toy!! And the best thing about it, is that it is practically no sew.. you will have to sew a little, but really, not very much at all! A great little recycled craft for kids!

From kids's old tights to an (almost no sew) Octopus Plushie. This is an adorable DIY Keepsake made from upcycled tights. So cute. Just lovely.

And now it is all ready for the Water Get Crafty – a carnival of water related craft ideas for children and adults!

 

***and from the comments: this would make a perfect baby shower gift too.. simply “don’t” do any cutting (and add the head on inside out – like when you fold socks together) or the sewing and use white label stickers to stick on some eyes! Then it can easily be taken apart again for baby! Love that idea!! ***From kids's old tights to an (almost no sew) Octopus Plushie. This is an adorable DIY Keepsake made from upcycled tights. So cute. Just lovely.

So… let’s get to it!!

All you need is:

  • 4 pairs of old, but still nice tights. The younger the child, the better, you don’t want an enormous Octopus!
  • Toy stuffing
  • Some thread
  • Some felt for the eyes

We had a set of 4 stripe tights. They were so lovely I didn’t want to part with them!

Stuff all the “legs” half way – to about the knee, not too much more.

The one “clever” bit of this octopus, is getting all the parts of the tights facing the same way. The head is made the same when you roll up a pair of socks, the top part of the tights folding over the the tights legs. However if you do this, the head would be “inside out”. So what you have to do, is stick the legs through the top by cutting a smallish hole.

This Illustration should help!

Octopus made from tights

Then you simply take the remaining 3 pairs and “stuff them” into the pair that becomes the head and add extra stuffing. The green you can see on the top is the hole you created to push the legs through.

I am a lazy so and so and only sewed the bottom of the Octopus’s neck to the legs. This is an opportunity to position the legs – alternate the colours and make the toes point outwards. You can sew up the “hole” at the top of the head too – which was created when you pushed the two blue legs through. But I find it’s ok as it is. Same goes for the “underneath”. You can “tidy it up” and sew it all together. I didn’t, but I may tomorrow if Red Ted hands it over to me for long enough!  I then sewed some eyes on.

I toyed with a mouth, but decided against it in the end.

From kids's old tights to an (almost no sew) Octopus Plushie. This is an adorable DIY Keepsake made from upcycled tights. So cute. Just lovely.

Already much loved! Hope you have a go at making this Octopus Softie made from tights!