20+ Adorable Octopus Crafts Kids Will Love to Make

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Looking for something under the sea and full of giggles? These octopus crafts are just the thing to keep little hands busy and imaginations swimming. Whether you’re working with toddlers, preschoolers, or early elementary kids, something here is colorful, hands-on, and super doable.

And if your little artists can’t get enough ocean animals, don’t miss our collection of ocean crafts for kids! They pair perfectly with these octopus ideas. Get ready to snip, glue, paint, and giggle through a whole bunch of sea creature fun. Let’s dive right into the tentacle-filled fun!

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Octopus Crafts

Each activity adds a fun twist, like using cupcake liners, handprints, or even bubble wrap, to build eight-legged friends with lots of personality. From simple paper plate projects to creative name-learning activities, these ideas are perfect for a rainy afternoon or an ocean-themed lesson.

Plus, they sneak in a bit of learning while the kids are having a blast.

Paper Chain Octopus

Colorful paper chains become the octopus's eight arms in this playful undersea art. Children loop strips of construction paper into interlocking rings to form wiggly tentacles, enjoying counting and connecting each one. The project sneaks in fine motor practice and becomes a cute decoration or toy for imaginative play.

kidsactivitiesblog.com

Paper Bag Octopus

A paper lunch bag gets painted, stuffed, and cut to shape an adorable octopus with a big round head and dangly legs. Little ones have a blast covering the bag in bright paint, snipping it into eight streamers, and watching it puff up into a jiggling sea creature.

The finished octopus stands upright as a cute 3D buddy, perfect for pretend ocean adventures or display.

Related: Octopus Tracing Worksheets

www.easypeasyandfun.com

Octopus Paper Plate

Kids turn a basic paper plate into a cheerful octopus by painting it and adding eight dangling arms. The plate becomes the octopus's round body with a friendly face, while curled paper strips or ribbon form lively tentacles that sway with movement.

It's an easy, classic project that preschoolers can make with minimal help, resulting in a cute ocean friend for play or decoration.

Octopus Handprint

A child's handprint transforms into an adorable octopus with just a few simple steps. Kids trace or stamp their hand on paper (or in paint) and decorate the palm as the octopus's head while the fingers become the creature's wiggling tentacles.

They love personalizing their handprint octopus with fun colors and googly eyes, making a sweet keepsake that is uniquely theirs.

www.craftplaylearn.com

Easy Octopus Art

Kids can make a colorful octopus using a simple printable template they cut out and glue together. After assembling the octopus's round body, smiling face, and eight curved legs, they can paint a swirly blue ocean background to complete the scene (or just glue the octopus onto construction paper).

This quick project keeps kids busy and engaged and sneaks in learning about sea creatures as they create artwork.

Also try: Paper Cup Octopus Craft

thepinterestedparent.com

Paper Plate Octopus

An ordinary paper plate and some art scraps quickly become an octopus in this spur-of-the-moment activity. Inspired by a child's request, a parent and child might paint the plate and use whatever ribbon, yarn, or paper they have on hand to create eight arms.

This project shows you don't need fancy supplies to invent a fun activity. It's a creative, no-fuss project that encourages using imagination and household materials to make a playful undersea friend.

Octopus Name

In this creative activity, octopus art becomes a personalized name puzzle. Little ones assemble a friendly octopus using a printable template for the head, then attach each letter of their name to one of its tentacles, spelling their name across all eight arms. The result is a fun art project and a playful way to build letter recognition and pride in their name.

iheartcraftythings.com

Cupcake Liner Octopus

In this creative project, a flattened cupcake liner becomes the octopus's round body with eight paper tentacles. Kids cut out strips of cardstock for legs and glue them to the liner, then have a blast sticking O-shaped cereal, like Cheerios, onto each leg as pretend suction cups.

They can choose any color liner and add googly eyes and a smile, ending up with a cute, textured octopus that ties in perfectly with an ocean story or lesson.

Related: Octopus Connect The Dots

www.easypeasyandfun.com

Paper Cup Octopus

Kids paint a paper cup their favorite color, then glue on eight long paper strips as tentacles that dangle and sway. With a pair of googly eyes and a drawn smile on the upside-down cup (which serves as the octopus's head), an ordinary cup is suddenly a friendly sea creature.

This simple project is quick and sturdy enough for kids to play with, so their new octopus pal can stand on a table or join them in pretend ocean explorations.

Paper Plate Octopus

In this simple art, one plain paper plate turns into an octopus with a happy face and eight legs. Children decorate the plate with paint or crayons to make the big round head, then attach eight paper streamers or cardstock strips as tentacles that flutter as the octopus "swims."

It's a bright and easy project for young kids, and they'll be proud to play with or display their friendly octopus afterward.

www.messylittlemonster.com

Washi Tape Octopus

Colorful washi tape patterns take center stage in this octopus art, letting kids decorate their sea creature with any paint or mess. Children stick strips of the decorative tape onto an octopus shape (drawn or from a template), creating vibrant striped tentacles and a patterned body.

Tearing and placing the tape is a fun, hands-on process, and the finished octopus is bright and modern-looking – a unique art piece that shows off each child's style.

Also try: Octopus Toilet Paper Roll Craft

artsycraftsymom.com

Paper Plate Octopus

Kids will love painting a simple paper plate in bright colors to create the octopus's big round body. After the plate dries, they attach eight arms made from paper strips or ribbons that hang down and wiggle like real tentacles whenever the octopus moves.

The result is a colorful creation that encourages creativity and ends up as a cheerful ocean friend to display or use in pretend play.

Octopus Paper Bag Puppet

A plain paper bag becomes a playful octopus puppet ready for undersea adventures. Kids glue on a large octopus head and eight hanging legs (with the help of a handy template) to transform the bag into a colorful sea creature they can put their hand inside.

Once it's assembled with big eyes and a smile, they can swim their octopus puppet around, putting on pretend ocean shows and giggling at its wiggly legs.

desertchica.com

Finding Dory Project: Hank the Octopus

Disney fans will recognize this activity as Hank the octopus from Finding Dory, recreated with simple paper and streamers. Kids trace and cut out Hank's head from red paper (using a template to get the shape right), give him big, curious eyes, and then attach eight twisty red crepe-paper arms that spring out for a 3D effect.

The finished character looks just like the grumpy-but-lovable Hank, making it perfect for a Finding Dory theme or any little movie lover who wants their own Hank to play with.

Related: Octopus Worksheets

www.artycraftykids.com

Puffy Bubble Wrap Octopus

A sheet of bubble wrap becomes a fun painting tool in this ocean activity, helping kids create the octopus's unique spotty skin texture. Children paint the bubble wrap and press it onto paper to make a colorful dot pattern, then cut out a big octopus shape with eight arms from the printed design.

They even stuff or layer the octopus cut-outs to make it puffy and three-dimensional, ending up with a squishy octopus friend that's as enjoyable to play with as it was to make.

www.thepurplepumpkinblog.co.uk

Purple Pompom Pipe Cleaner Octopus

Kids can create the cutest little octopus friend with a big fluffy purple pom-pom and a few pipe cleaners. They simply attach eight bendy pipe cleaner legs to the pom-pom body (secured with glue by twisting them around) and add googly eyes to give it personality.

The miniature octopus is soft and bouncy, making it a perfect quick project and a playful toy that kids love to carry around or "swim" through the water during imaginative play.

Also try: Octopus Cutting Activity Pages

conservamome.com

Woven Octopus

K to practice simple weaving while making this octopus project, combining art and fine motor skill-building. They weave strips of colorful paper together to form the octopus's body, creating a cool crisscross pattern. Then, they are on eight dangling paper legs and a friendly face.

The weaving part keeps little hands busy and engaged, and the finished octopus sports a fun textured look that children are proud to show off.

crystalandcomp.com

Letter of the Week: O is for Octopus

Turn the letter "O" into an octopus with this clever alphabet activity, perfect for preschoolers learning their letters. Kids decorate a large cutout letter O and give it octopus features by adding googly eyes and eight curvy paper legs, transforming the letter into a happy sea creature.

This activity combines letter recognition with creativity, helping little ones remember that O is for Octopus through hands-on fun.

www.easypeasyandfun.com

Octopus Corner Bookmarks

A simple origami corner bookmark gets an ocean twist to become a cute octopus that hugs the pages of your book. Kids fold a piece of paper into a triangular corner bookmark, then add big eyes and stick on eight little paper tentacles so that they hang out when the bookmark is on a page.

Reading time becomes extra fun with this friendly octopus peeking over the book, and young readers feel proud using a bookmark they created themselves.

www.fantasticfunandlearning.com

Octopus: Letter O

Kids can make this adorable octopus art in no time with some colorful paper and a dash of imagination. Kids cut out a big octopus body shape and attach eight twisting crepe-paper streamers as tentacles, which sway and flutter like the octopus is swimming.

Kids love adding their touches like goofy eyes or patterns on the body, and afterward they can use their friendly octopus for pretend play or hang it up to brighten the room.

buggyandbuddy.com

Paper Plate And Pasta Octopus

A clever octopus project doubles as a fine motor activity, letting kids practice threading beads while they create. The octopus starts with a simple paper or foam body, and children slide colorful beads onto each of its eight pipe cleaner arms, like adding "suction cups" to the tentacles.

Little ones stay engaged as they carefully string the beads, and in the end, they have a bright, beaded octopus toy that builds hand coordination and looks adorable.

www.notimeforflashcards.com

Paper Plate Pom Pom Octopus

Kids transform a plain paper plate into an octopus using colorful pom-pom art. They paint or color the plate to make the octopus's head, then attach eight paper strip legs and decorate them by gluing on many fuzzy pom-poms as silly suction cups.

Squishing and sticking the soft pom-poms is loads of fun for little hands, and the finished octopus has a bright, bumpy texture that kids adore.

kidsactivitiesblog.com

Letter O Project

Another fun way to connect art and letters is by making the letter "O" into an octopus. Kids can cut out a large O shape and give the octopus features with googly eyes and eight dangling arms made of paper or yarn, effectively turning the letter into the creature's body.

The hands-on project helps them remember the letter O as they create their ocean friend, blending early literacy with creative play.

More Fun Kid’s Ideas

21 Ink-credible Octopus Books For Kids
8 Awesome Ocean Themed Board Games For Kids
38 Fun Ocean Crafts For Kids

Sam

Sam is the crafter and founder of Simple Everyday Mom. She has been featured in Oprah Mag, Good Housekeeping, The Spruce Crafts, Country Living, The Bump and more. Read more.

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