Looking for a tiny crochet treat? This baby octopus has six curling tentacles, bright eyes, and a sweet pink smile, all made with just a little yarn.
A palm-sized baby octopus takes shape from a simple Red crocheted body, six naturally curling tentacles, and a tiny Pink mouth. The rounded amigurumi is finished with 7mm safety eyes and delicate White yarn details, giving its simple shape a bright, expressive face.
Once the body is shaped in continuous rounds, the crochet pattern pauses for the safety eyes before the lower rounds begin closing the opening. A special BLO round leaves the front loops available for crocheting the six tentacles directly onto the base. After the body is stuffed and closed, the mouth and eye details are added to finish the face.
Credit Tedzukurida
Why You’ll Love This Baby Octopus
This little octopus uses only a small amount of yarn and gives you several recognizable details without requiring complicated shaping. The tentacles are especially convenient because they are crocheted directly from the exposed loops at the bottom rather than being made as six separate pieces and sewn on individually.
Materials & Tools Needed
- Yarn: Milk Cotton yarn (5ply) in Red and Pink, plus a small amount of White for the eye details
- Crochet Hook: 3.00mm–3.50mm
- Safety Eyes: 7mm
- Stuffing: Polyester Fiber
- Tools: Yarn needle, stitch marker, scissors, and hot glue for attaching the mouth
Safety-eye note: The introduction mentions 6mm eyes, but the tutorial specifically uses 7mm safety eyes during assembly, so the written instructions follow the 7mm measurement.
Finished Size & Customization Ideas
Using 5-ply yarn with a 3.00mm hook typically gives a palm-sized mini plush measuring roughly 2 to 2.5 inches tall, although the exact dimensions depend on your yarn and tension.
Because the pattern requires very little yarn, it is also useful for using up small amounts of yarn. You can make several baby octopuses in different colors or attach a keyring through the magic-ring center to turn one into a small keychain accessory.
Pattern Abbreviations
- MR: Magic Ring
- sc: Single Crochet
- inc: Increase – 2 sc in one loop
- dec: Decrease – single crochet decrease
- ch: Chain
- slst: Slip Stitch
- BLO: Back Loop Only
- FLO: Front Loop Only
- Rnd: Round
- ( ) x N: Repeat the sequence inside the parentheses N times
- [ ]: Total stitch count at the end of the round
Crochet Baby Octopus Amigurumi Pattern
Head & Body
Work the head and body in continuous rounds using Red yarn. Do not join at the end of each round.
Keeping Track of Continuous Rounds
Place a stitch marker in the last sc of the round and move it up as you complete each round. Since the rounds are not joined with slip stitches, the marker gives you a clear reference for where each round ends.
Rnd 1: 6 sc in Magic Ring. [6]
Rnd 2: (inc) x 6. [12]
Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x 6. [18]
Rnd 4: (sc, inc, sc) x 6. [24]
Rnd 5: sc all around. [24]
Rnd 6: sc all around. [24]
Rnd 7: sc all around. [24]
Rnd 8: sc all around. [24]
Rnd 9: (sc, dec, sc) x 6. [18]
Eye Placement Guide
Before the opening becomes smaller, insert the 7mm safety eyes between Rnd 6 and Rnd 7, leaving a distance of exactly 4 holes between them. Secure the backings firmly.
This is the specified point for the eyes, so complete this step before continuing with the lower decrease rounds.
Rnd 10: (sc, dec) x 6. [12]
Stuffing Guide
Fill the body generously with polyester fiber after Rnd 10. The opening is still large enough to work comfortably at this stage, making it easier to distribute the stuffing before the final rounds close the body.
Rnd 11: Working in BLO (Back Loop Only), (dec) x 6. [6]
Why the BLO Round Matters
Rnd 11 does two things at once: it reduces the body to 6 stitches and leaves 12 unworked front loops exposed on the surface.
Those exposed loops are needed for the tentacles. They are not accidental leftover loops, so do not work into or cover them while closing the body.
Closing the Body
Fill the body again until it is fully solid inside. Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail, and thread the tail onto a yarn needle.
Sew through the FLO (Front Loop Only) of the remaining 6 stitches and pull tightly to close the bottom opening. Hide the remaining yarn tail inside the body.
Tentacles
The six tentacles are crocheted directly into the 12 front loops left unworked from Rnd 11.
Step 1: Attach Red yarn with a slip knot to one of the exposed front loops at the bottom base of the octopus.
Step 2: Make 7 ch.
Step 3: Skip 1 ch from the hook, then work down the chain: 1 sc, 1 inc, 4 sc.
Step 4: Return to the exposed loops on the main body, skip 1 loop, then slst into the next loop.
Step 5: Repeat Steps 2–4 all the way around the base to create 6 tentacles in total.
Fasten off and weave the ends invisibly into the body.
Tentacle Placement Check
Keep following the same sequence around the exposed loops: make the 7-chain tentacle, work back down the chain, skip one body loop, and slip stitch into the next. The 12 exposed loops provide the attachment points needed to create all 6 tentacles.
If you accidentally work into one of the wrong loops and the spacing begins to look uneven, undo that section back to the last correctly positioned slip stitch and repeat the sequence rather than continuing around with the error.
Pink Mouth
The mouth is made separately with Pink yarn.
Step 1: Make 5 sc in a Magic Ring. [5]
Step 2: Cut the yarn and pull the tail firmly all the way up through the stitch to fasten off.
Keep the finished piece available for the assembly stage.
Assembly
Adding the White Eye Details
Thread a yarn needle with a single strand of White yarn. Create a small curved line hugging the outer edge of each safety eye.
Hide the yarn ends inside the body when finished.
Positioning the Mouth
Place the Pink magic-ring piece directly in the middle of the face, between and slightly below the eyes.
Check the position before applying adhesive so the mouth sits where intended.
Attaching the Mouth
Use a small dab of hot glue to secure the Pink mouth firmly to the face.
If the mouth shifts while the glue is being applied, reposition it before the adhesive sets rather than adding more glue immediately.
Final Finishing Check
Check that both safety eyes are firmly secured, the White eye details are neat, and the Pink mouth sits centered between and slightly below the eyes. Look around the bottom to make sure all six tentacles are attached and that the body remains fully stuffed without visible polyester fiber showing through the stitches.
The finished baby octopus is now ready with its rounded body, six curling tentacles, bright eyes, and simple smiling face.
