When my kids were in preschool, I enjoyed making cute lunches for them. I lied. Cute lunches lasted maybe a week or two. Now I’m lucky if we manage to toss some food into containers before they head to the bus stop. Still, when I have some time, I’ll make these whimsical octopus hot dogs for them.
Aren’t these octopus hot dogs cute? Pack these into your kids’ bento boxes or tuck them into your lunch box to put a smile on your face. To show you how easy these are to make, I’ve created a video AND have step-by-step photos for you.
Supplies need: hot dogs, a knife, cutting board, microwave-safe plate, and an edible food marker (affiliate link).
How to Make Octopus Hot Dogs (Video)
I sped things up to keep the video short, but feel free to slow it down. (Hover over video, click the gear icon and change the speed.)
Step-by-Step Photos for Making Octopus Hot Dogs
Cut hot dogs in half as shown. The rounded end of each hot dog will become the octopus head.
Place knife about 1/3 down from the rounded end of the hot dog and cut in half lengthwise. Be careful not to cut top half of hot dog. Turn the hot dog and cut again so you create four “arms.”
Carefully pull each of the cut quarters aside (without remove it from the head) and cut that in half.
Repeat until you have 8 octopus arms. Make sure not to cut into the head! Don’t worry if the 8 arms aren’t the same size. It won’t matter. I know it doesn’t look like much right now, but wait and see!
Place the cut hot dog onto a microwave-safe plate. Make sure the arms are spread out to form the octopus shape. Microwave for 20-30 seconds on high. Allow hot dog to cool so it holds the octopus shape.
Optional: Draw faces on the octopus hot dogs with an edible food marker (affiliate link).
You can make these the day before and pop them into your kids’ lunch. Or serve them at dinner with a side of macaroni and cheese!
What types of cute foods have you made for your lunch boxes?
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