I've seen this done with a knife and a toothpick on the Food Network. It's a commercial they run about making food fun for kids.
eewwww... now, something that splits into eight tentacles should never be used as a tampon. Wouldn't you be afraid one of them might break off? (I know there are some pretty weird designs out there, though.)
No, no, no those diagrams that show you how it work make it look like some sort of weird tampon not the eight-legged weeny.