We love the outdoors in any weather but sometimes an indoor craft is just the thing you need for those days when you’re feeling nature but it’s not feeling you. You can make a cute cactus plant that doesn’t prick little green thumbs and is soft enough for the very youngest “gardeners.” The best part about this plant is it doesn’t need to be watered and it will survive playtime with every member of your family, even the furry ones. Your cactus can been made entirely by hand using felt with the seams on the outside. Or take it up a notch using a cotton fabric and machine-sew your cactus, hiding the seams on the inside. Either way, it will be a beautiful ever-blooming novelty for your home.
Supplies
- Fabric or felt for the main body
- Scraps of colourful felt for embellishing
- Scissors
- Needle
- Thread
- Stuffing
Cut
- Trace and cut out paper templates.
- Pin paper template to fabric and cut out four cactus segment pieces and two flower pieces.
Stitch
- Pin two sets of segment pieces together and sew around the edge with a ¼” seam allowance, leaving the bottom open.
- Repeat with the remaining two segments.
- Cut notches into the curved edges of your sewn cactus segments.
- Turn right sides out.
- Here is where, if you opt to use felt, you can whipstitch (or any other stitch you wish) the segments together on the outside edges – this will be remain your “right side out”.
Assemble
- Lay your two segment pieces together and secure to each other.
- Stitch a line from the top centre to the bottom centre.
- With the help of a pencil, fill your four cactus segments with stuffing.
- Whip stitch the bottom of the cactus closed to keep stuffing in place.
Embellish
- Trim notches into your cactus flower pieces to make flower petals.
- To create your cactus “spines”, use a needle and thread to make a small stitch across the seam of your cactus segment, leaving a tail.
- Stitch through the same spot again, pulling your loop tight.
- Tie your ends together and trim to the desired length.
- Stitch as many cactus spines along the edge as you wish.
- Sew your cactus flower in place by stitching through the top of the flower, leaving a tail free.
- Make a stitch through the top of the cactus segments and through the back of the flower.
- Pull threads tight, tie free ends together and trim to hide ends.
“Plant” in a pot or small bowl and enjoy!
