Fun Octopus Craft With Toilet Paper Rolls



I've had the pleasure of doing crafts with two great kiddos one afternoon a week this summer.  One afternoon we made this adorable Octopus Craft With Toilet Paper Rolls.

Some crafts I had planned out, but other times, I would lay out miscellaneous supplies and see what the kids created.  Pinterest has been a wonderful resource.  I would pin lots of crafts that used basic supplies that I knew I had on hand.  Then I let the kids explore my Kid's Crafts Pinterest Board and choose what they wanted to make.

A fun Octopus made from a Toilet Paper Roll caught the 8 year olds eye right away!  I had a whole bag of cardboard toilet paper rolls, and she loved how they had cleverly crafted this octopus.  Thank you Crafty Morning for inspiring this project!


We started by painting the toilet paper roll with purple Apple Barrel acrylic craft paint.  I have really stocked up on lots of colors of acrylic paint this summer.  I realized that my daughter and I didn't use primary or bright colors.  It's inexpensive, goes a long way, and can be used on so many different surfaces.  You can mix colors with black or white to get different shades, if you don't have what you want. 

We used an inexpensive foam brush, but you can use a bristle type brush.  Acrylic paint can ruin carpet, furniture, and clothing, so we wear old T-shirts and put newspaper on the dining room table. 

I love working on paint projects outside at the picnic table for quick clean up with the garden hose, but it was 96 degrees this day!


We let the paint dry for 15 minutes.  It was still a little wet, but 8 year olds aren't very patient.  We cut slits 1/4 of the way up the toilet paper roll.  I used Fiskars Teflon coated non stick scissors, since they will wipe clean if paint or gunk get on them.

Our octopus had more than eight legs, but we don't care!


It's a challenge getting glue on the back of tiny googly eyes.  We used thick craft glue and a tooth pick.  My aunt found these awesome colored wiggle eyes with eyelashes.  They are so cool!  She was kind enough to share them!


Using a medium width paintbrush, we added a black mouth.  Since our octopus is purple, and has blue eyes and pretty eyelashes, it's definitely a SHE.  To add more detail, we used a pencil eraser dipped in light pink paint to add cheeks.


Kids have wonderful imaginations, and this 8 year old wanted to pain the tips of all of the tentacles, kind of like fingernails.  What a great idea!  She did the ones in the front blue, and the back ones are pink. 

To finish her, I tied a small bow using picot edged satin ribbon and attached it with tacky glue.

With just a few common craft supplies and minimal adult help, this toilet paper roll octopus is complete.  She's adorable!!!


Pam writes from Maryland, USA about her crafting projects at P.S. I Love You Crafts.  She specializes in handmade cards, the Cricut, and scrapbooking, but she loves all kinds of crafts.

Thank you to my ever so crafty friend, Pam, for providing this post. I love how cute the octopus turned out and this is exactly the type of craft that my 8 year old enjoys - especially the messy parts of gluing and painting. Pam has been writing and sharing her crafts online for many years now. If you are on Facebook then she has a really popular page on Facebook here that shares lots of crafts and cute handmade cards.

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