Once upon a time…OK maybe not as long ago as fairytales,

Towel Octopus

but quite some time ago my daughter challenged me to make a towel octopus.  I figured out how to make towels into an octopus, but at the time I just took a photo and posted it on facebook.  I had not seen one on a ship before I made them to leave in the cabin for the stewards now and then, but have seen them on ships since.  I have no idea if they copied mine or figured it out on their own.  I never put up the directions on the blog before though so I’ll do it now.

Supplies Needed to Make a Towel Octopus

One Beach Towel

Two Bath Towels

One Hand Towel

Eyes (googly eyes or make your own from paper or felt)

How to Fold a Towel Octopus Body

Roll bath towel to the middle from each end

The towel octopus body is made from two standard towel animal bodies put together.  Start with one bath towel.   Lay the bath towel out flat.

try to make the rolls as even as possible

Roll each end to the middle from the short side.

fold the towel rolled side out

Fold the rolled towel in half with the rolls to the outside.  Pull the tips out of the ends of each roll.

take the tips of both ends of one roll in one hand and the other roll in the other hand

Take the tips from both ends of one roll in one hand and the tips from both ends of the other roll in the other hand.

pull both ends at once

Pull on all of them at once until the rolls stretch out into legs and the center comes together for the body.  Repeat with the other bath towel.

one body rolls up and one rolls down

Place one towel animal body with the open bit where the rolls come together in the middle facing up.  Take the other towel animal body and turn it so the open part where the rolls come together faces down.

the two bodies fit together in the open space between the rolls

Insert the body with the rolls facing down into the one with the rolls facing up at the middle between the rolls, perpendicular to each other so it becomes one body with eight legs.

How to Make a Towel Octopus Head

make a towel ball, no specific way just make a ball

Wad the hand towel up in a ball.  Starting with one corner of the beach towel, wrap it around the hand towel making sure to keep it round.

wrap the beach towel around the hand towel

Or just wad most of the beach towel up around the ball of hand towel and smooth about the last third of the towel around the rest of it so if forms a ball.

make adjustments as necessary while rolling to keep the round shape

Whatever works for you, just make a towel ball.  If you want a smaller head leave out the hand towel and just make a ball with the beach towel.

Finishing the Towel Octopus

finished towel octopus

Set the towel ball head on top of the eight-legged body.  Smooth out the lumps and adjust head to the desired shape.  Decorate with eyes.  Position the legs as desired.

For instructions on how to fold a variety of other towel animals please visit My Cruise Stories Towel Animal Page.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015