Paracord Octopus

This was something I had fun making, so I figured I would share with you how I did it.The arms are bendable so he can be moved around for good decoration.Many thanks to you guys at Knot Heads World Wide for always helping me learn new knots!I made this first in black and green but was not 100% happy with the look. So I went with purple as the body, aqua arms and white suckers. .

Step 1: You Will Need

Around 100' of purple paracord to be safe.
6' of aqua paracord
20' of white paracord
4 -13” lengths of 12 gauge copper or aluminum wire .No sharp ends, file them smooth.
1 Toilet paper tube
This pineapple knot tied around a toilet paper tube.

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/3254/kv4w.jpg

Some pins
1 or 2 pieces of newspaper

Okay, We'll make the head first. Print the pineapple knot tutorial, cut it out and tape it around the toilet paper tube so
the ends meet up. Then stuff the tube tightly with the scrap newspaper. Now push pins in all of the red dots on the
tube. Next, weave the knot using one15' piece of purple cord for the white line and one 15' piece of purple cord for the
blue line on the tube. Don't remove the core out of these strands.

Step 2:

Then loop a small length of purple cord through some of the outer loops. The idea is to close up one end to make the
top of the octopus head. I used the end that did not have the excess strands from making the pineapple knot. Feed the
ends of the loop down into the head, then push it almost inside out so you can knots the ends together inside the head.
Any leftover strands on the bottom, I just melt the ends and tuck them up inside to hide the ends.

Step 3:

Now you want to make his beady little octopus eyes. I took a long strand of the aqua cord and pulled back a few inches
of the outer core to reveal the inner strands. Then I tied 3 overhand knots with the core strands right on top of each
other to make a small ball. Trim off any excess. Then cut a 6” length of the aqua cord below the end with the ball. Grab
the inner core from the end you just cut and pull the inner core back into the shaft so the ball rests inside the end of the
aqua cord like a bird in a nest ( or an eye in a socket I guess). Then gently melt it in place

Step 4:

Now we'll make the tentacles. Cut 4 strands of the aqua cord 15” long, then remove the core strands. Then melt 1 end
closed. Next, slide a piece of 12 gauge wire in the hollow core until it stops on the melted end. Then stretch out the cord
down the length of the wire, cut and melt the end closed. The object is to not have any play in the ends of the cord, the
wire should be right up to where the end is melted.
Do this for all 4 strands of wire.

Next you want to cut about a 3' piece of white cord. Remove the core, then cut it into 1.5” pieces. These will be the
suckers. They are cut a little long now, but we'll trim them up later.

Step 5:

Do this all the way until you reach the other end of the aqua wire. Then cut and singe the end of the knot.

Step 6:

At this point we'll make the suckers look more real. Starting with 1 tentacle at a time, trim all of the ends of the white
cords down to around 1/4” to 3/8”. You may want to only trim a few at a time, just to see what length looks the best to
you. Any longer and they don't look good. After you trim the ends down, insert a pen or pencil into the end of a white
piece and rotate the other end of the pen in a big circle to “bell” out or flange the end into a bell or sucker shape.

Do the same for all of the suckers.
Even if you discolor it a little with too much heat, it's okay. For this process I've used a lighter and it works, but I found that a
butane torch lighter with a fine point works best for me. I can make little circles around each one individually.

Step 7:

Now that all the parts are done it's time for final assembly. Take 2 tentacles and put them side by side, suckers down
and put the octopus head right in the middle. Then, tie the head tightly around the 2 tentacles and knot it underneath.
Then cut and singe the ends. Cut a 3' piece of purple cord and tie a clove hitch just under that first knot. This will be the
start of a square hitch that will tie the other 2 tentacles to the first 2 with the head on them. The clove hitch needs to sit
far enough below center so that the 2 other tentacles,when put together, sit centered under the first 2 in a “plus” shape
(+).

Step 8:

Try different colors and have fun!
Here is another color I made....

Comments

[ahuppert]

So I'm trying to make this awesome octopus and I managed to get through step 1. I've run into a bit of a problem with the cords. I have two sets (white and blue) and one set comes out the top and the other comes out the bottom. From the comments, I realized all 4 are supposed to come out the bottom, so I routed one end back on the other and now all 4 are coming out the bottom... problem solved?

Not so fast. How do you seal up the top? I looped a separate purple cord through all of the top loops, pulled it tight and then tied a square knot on the inside and burned the two ends together so it won't come out.

You said NOT to remove the TP holder in step 1, but you removed it in step 2. I'm assuming you HAVE TO do this to tie the knot inside?

Once all of the above is done and you're at the end of step 2, do you cinch up the pineapple knot a bit? Yours seems tighter than mine looks. I pulled it off the roll and each of the cords is pretty spaced out from the next. Do we make it a bit tighter before going to step 3?

Lastly, did you leave anything inside of the head? Any stuffing to keep it from collapsing? OR, by cinching it tighter (previous question) does it hold it's shape?

[natdiamond]

I have not visited this site in a long time :) Thanks for giving it a shot! You need to leave the cardboard tube with the pattern taped to inside- only while tying the knot. Once you have woven the pattern, you pull your pins out & slide the knot off the tube. I did not pack the head with anything. I felt the floppy head was a bit more like the real thing. All cords should be coming out of the same end when you are done. Yes any knots & melted ends make sure are tucked & hidden inside the head. Yes whenever you make a pineapple or a globe knot, it needs to be cinched up tight. Not to tight to distort it, since there's noting inside. You can use a golf ball or something to put inside to help you tighten it up. But I recommend you remove it before the final attaching it to the body.

[Naudie-Maudie]

I want to make one but it looks a little bit hard with the pineapple knot because I have not learned that knot yet

[natdiamond]

Naudie, it's VERY easy. Just print this picture the size of a cardboard toilet paper tube. You may have to adjust the size. But when wrapped around a toilet paper tube, the left & right sides will join together seamlessly. You will see, they connect. Tape it together, stuff some newspaper or toilet paper in the tube for support. Get some push pins, pins or thumb tacks, and 2 pieces of para cord. Then start with the 1st cord "the white cord" at the #1 red dot marked in the bottom right of the picture. Pin it down to hold it in place, then move it diagonally up and to the left until you get to the # 5 dot up top. Pin it to hold it down, then continue down and to the left until you get to the #2 on the bottom (it wraps around the tube). Just continue up and down, over and under, until you get back to the #1 where you started. Then start with "the blue" cord, and follow it,along it's path, paying attention to the over & unders and pinning it to hold it in place at every corner. Then that's it. Just follow the pattern thats all laid out for you. when its done, pull out the pins, slide the weave off the tube and carefully start to cinch up the slack to tighten it up. Here is a link to a different knot someone posted, but without the pattern. Just to give you a visual of the general process of tying it around a mandrel. Good luck.

[natdiamond]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0BcoUkVcmk

[lkuziez9680]

I love the instructable and plan to make it, but the pineapple knot link isn't working for me, do you have any other places for me to go for a tutorial (or template) for the pineapple knot?

[thox]

Really cool idea! i'm making one right now!

[sooooc]

that's cool. creative!

[natdiamond]

Thanks. Post a pic if you make one!

[jessyratfink]

That looks awesome! Best use of paracord so far. :D

[natdiamond]

Thank you!