Total Time 1 to 2 hours Ages preschooler
This rainy-day project provides plenty of practice for budding braiders and makes a fun, eight-armed pal.
What you'll need
- Scissors
- Skein of yarn about 100 yards long
- 3-inch Styrofoam ball or a tennis ball
- 5 feet of yarn or ribbon, for tying the braids
- Tacky glue
- Large googly eyes
How to make it
1. PREPARE THE YARN: Cut two 10-inch pieces of yarn from the skein. Hold your hands about 3 feet apart and have your child wrap the rest of the skein around them to form one large ring of yarn. Knot one of the 10-inch yarn pieces around the middle of the ring. Place the tied ring on a tabletop and snip both loops (A).
2. FORM THE HEAD: Center the knot atop the ball and drape the yarn so that the ball is evenly covered (B). Knot the other 10-inch piece of yarn just below the ball.
3. BRAID THE TENTACLES: Divide the yarn strands into 8 equal bundles, then braid each one, securing the ends with yarn or ribbon (C). Glue on the googly eyes.
Crafts
