Introduction: #OctopiWallStreet: Big Cheap Tentacles
I needed to make some tentacles quickly and inexpensively for our front yard. Behold, pool noodles, duct tape and spray paint!.
Step 2: Tape Your Noodles Together
Gather your noodles, coat hanger, and duct tape. Get the smaller noodle. Now, bend your coat hanger so that it fits into the smaller noodle’s hole by being both long and thin enough. Cram. Leave the hook end protruding a bit. This will make the tip area moderately pose-able. Arrange the three noodles as the extremely detailed drawing instructs. Observe that the smaller noodle extends 18–24” above the tops of the two larger noodles. That’s going to be the top of your tentacle. To use as shims for the bending process in the following step, you might want to trim a few inches off the bottom end of the smaller noodle. To keep the noodles together while you’re working, tape them together a few times. The jumbo noodles’ tops can be carved to taper up toward the tentacle’s tip, or left uncarved. I completed it both ways, and while I don’t think the work was worthwhile, your expectations might be higher. To avoid losing too much bulk on your finished tentacle, you might want to shorten the smaller noodle’s extension if you plan to carve.
It’s now time to sort through your collection and embellish the tentacle. I created the beautiful colors of this tentacle using rusting red, orange, brown, and antique white. To finish the scene, I simply need to add some blue wave lights and the sound of an intense ocean storm. The tentacles of my pirate skeleton a few years later: Don’t mess with the dreaded land squid!
I used hot glue to attach the suckers, but here’s a funny thing about hot glue: it consumes foam. Like “Cookie Monster at a bakery” eats foam. If you slice them too thin, there’s a good chance that some of your suckers will dissolve. You can try liquid nails, but I hate that shit. We don’t get on.
Saw off the edges to create a point, then attach the wire hanger to the tip. Theoretically, this will be sufficient to create some articulation. In theory, I say this because every time I try, the hanger pierces the foam, forcing me to jam it all back in.
Now for the curves. Make sure to leave a good amount—at least a few feet—at the bottom. Your tentacle will collapse if you cut it too high up because there won’t be enough support for the weight. Cut almost all the way through the pool noodles with the saw blade. After packing that area with plastic bags, tape it back up.
To make up for the portion of pool noodles that is missing, stuff the bags where there are gaps at the bottom (or purchase an additional noodle to make up the difference). It’s up to you). Tape all that up with the duct tape. Although it’s not absolutely necessary, I’ve found that using bubblewrap makes working with bags much easier. Use whatever you have around.