Nothing slows down amigurumi making faster than crocheting 8 separate octopus legs and trying to pin and sew all 8 of them evenly around a round head! Our free no-sew crochet octopus pattern solves that forever: all 8 chubby tentacles sprout directly out of the Front Loops Only (FLO) in Round 7, while Round 8 uses the unworked Back Loops Only (BLO) behind the tentacles to close a flat, self-standing belly—100% zero sewing required!

Just like our viral No-Sew Crochet Bee Pattern and No-Sew Crochet Whale Pattern, this one-piece pocket octopus is a top-3 craft market bestseller (featured in our guide to 25 Crochet Projects That Sell Like Crazy).

Even better, we have included two interchangeable Round 7 tentacle styles inside this single pattern:

  1. Option A: Chubby 5-DC Bobble Tentacles (15–20 minutes total • best for chunky plushies and fast market batch-making)
  2. Option B: Curly Spiral Chain Tentacles (22–25 minutes total • classic bouncy ringlets that kids love to fidget with!)
No-sew crochet octopus pattern anatomy diagram showing 10 continuous rounds, Round 7 Front-Loop-Only 8 tentacles, and Round 8 Back-Loop-Only flat base

📋 Dual-Yarn Sizing Chart (Mini Keychain vs. Chunky Plush Octopus)

Use the exact same 10-round stitch counts below with your choice of yarn weight and hook size:

Octopus VersionYarn Weight & FiberRecommended HookSafety Eye SizeFinished DimensionsTotal Yardage Needed
1. Mini Bag-Charm / Keychain#3 DK or #4 Worsted Cotton3.5 mm (US E-4)8 mm eyes2.5 in tall × 3.0 in wide~18 – 22 yds
2. Classic Desk Buddy#4 Worsted Acrylic4.0 mm (US G-6)10 mm eyes3.0 in tall × 3.5 in wide~24 – 28 yds
3. Jumbo Market Plushie#6 Super Bulky Chenille6.0 mm (US J-10)14 mm or 16 mm4.75 in tall × 5.5 in wide~36 – 42 yds

Have leftover partial skeins from a blanket? Because this pattern uses under 30 yards of worsted yarn, it is one of our favorite Scrap Yarn Crochet Projects!

🧶 Materials & Notions Needed

  • Yarn:
    • Main Body Color (Coral Pink, Seafoam Mint, Lavender, or Baby Blue): 22 yards (#4 Worsted) or 38 yards (#6 Super Bulky Chenille)
    • Cheek Blush Scrap (Soft Baby Pink or Rose): 10 inches of yarn for embroidering two sweet cheek dashes
  • Crochet Hook: 3.5 mm–4.0 mm for #4 Worsted yarn, or 6.0 mm for #6 Chenille yarn (see our Crochet Hook Sizes Explained guide for why amigurumi hooks are always 1.0 mm smaller than the yarn label recommendation!)
  • Safety Eyes: 1 pair of 8 mm–10 mm (Worsted) or 14 mm–16 mm (Chenille) plastic safety eyes
  • Polyester Fiberfill Stuffing: 1 small handful (~15g–35g)
  • Notions: 1 locking stitch marker, tapestry needle, and scissors

🔤 Abbreviations & Special Stitches (US Terms)

  • MR: Magic Ring
  • sc: Single crochet
  • inc: Single crochet increase (work 2 sc into the same stitch)
  • inv-dec: Invisible single crochet decrease (insert hook into Front Loop Only of next 2 sts, yarn over, pull through 2 loops, yarn over, pull through final 2 loops)
  • ch: Chain
  • sl st: Slip stitch
  • FLO: Front Loop Only (the top V-loop closest to you)
  • BLO: Back Loop Only (the top V-loop farthest from you)
  • 5-dc Bobble (Bobble): Yarn over, insert hook into designated front loop, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through 2 loops — repeat this 5 times into the exact same front loop until you have 6 loops on your hook. Yarn over and pull through all 6 loops at once! Push the bobble outward toward the front with your thumb so it pops out into a round chubby tentacle.

🐙 Step-by-Step No-Sew Crochet Octopus Pattern

Pattern Note: Work in continuous spirals without slip-stitching or chaining at the end of each round. Clip your locking stitch marker into the first stitch of every round.

Phase 1: The Round Octopus Dome Head (Rounds 1 – 6)

  • Round 1: Make a Magic Ring and work 8 sc inside the ring. Pull tail tight to close. (8 sts) (Tip: Starting with 8 sc instead of 6 sc gives the octopus a rounder, flatter dome top with zero pointy cone peak!)
  • Round 2: Work 1 inc (2 sc) into each stitch around. (16 sts)
  • Round 3: *(1 sc, 1 inc)* repeat 8 times around. (24 sts)
  • Rounds 4 – 6 (3 rounds total): Work 1 sc into each stitch around. (24 sts per round)

Phase 2: The 8 Built-In No-Sew Tentacles (Round 7 — Worked in FLO!)

In Round 7, we work exclusively into the Front Loops Only (FLO) of all 24 stitches. Because 24 ÷ 3 = 8, repeating a 3-stitch tentacle sequence 8 times spaces 8 tentacles evenly around the entire circumference! Leave the 24 Back Loops (BLO) unworked on the inside—we will use them in Round 8.

Choose Option A (Chubby Bobble Tentacles) or Option B (Curly Spiral Tentacles):

Option A: Chubby Bobble Tentacles (15-Minute Market Version)

  • Round 7 (FLO Only): Working in FLO around: *(1 sc in next FLO, work 1 [5-dc Bobble] in next FLO, 1 sc in next FLO)* repeat 8 times around. (8 chubby bobble tentacles + 16 sc = 24 FLO stitches worked)

Option B: Curly Ringlets Tentacles (Classic Bouncy Version)

  • Round 7 (FLO Only): Working in FLO around: *(1 sc in next FLO, [sl st in next FLO, ch 10, starting in 2nd ch from hook work 2 sc into each of the 9 chains back down the tentacle, sl st back into the same FLO], 1 sc in next FLO)* repeat 8 times around. (8 curly spiral tentacles spaced around 24 FLO stitches)

Phase 3: Eyes, Stuffing & Flat Belly Base (Rounds 8 – 10)

Now fold all 8 tentacles upward toward the head so you can clearly see the ring of 24 unworked Back Loops (BLO) sitting right behind Round 7.

  • Round 8 (BLO Only): Working into the unworked Back Loops (BLO) from Round 6/7: *(1 sc in next BLO, 1 inv-dec over next 2 BLO)* repeat 8 times around. (16 sts) (Working this decrease round into the back loops creates a crisp 90-degree crease so your octopus sits flat on any desk or shelf without rolling over!)

👀 Attach Eyes, Blush & Stuff Firmly Now:

  1. Snap your safety eyes between Rounds 5 and 6, spaced 4 visible stitches apart on the front of the head.
  2. Using a 10-inch strand of soft pink yarn, stitch a small horizontal dash (1 stitch wide) just below the outer corner of each eye for rosy cheeks.
  3. Stuff the head dome firmly with polyester fiberfill so it holds a plump sphere shape, keeping the bottom base slightly flat.
  • Round 9: Working through both loops normally: Work 8 inv-dec around. (8 sts)
  • Round 10 (Fasten Off): Cut yarn leaving an 8-inch tail, pull loop through, and thread tail onto your tapestry needle. Weave the needle under the Front Loop Only of the final 8 stitches, pull snug to cinch the bottom closed, and bury the tail inside the body.

💡 Two-Tone Belly Variation (Optional Color Change!)

Want your octopus to have a cream or pastel underside belly with a bright coral or teal head? Simply switch to your contrasting belly color on the very last pull-through of Round 7 right before starting Round 8 in the Back Loops! Follow our step-by-step guide on How to Change Colors in Crochet Seamlessly so the color transition underneath the tentacles is 100% invisible.