20+ Cactus Crafts and Printables for Desert-Loving Makers

Picture a green paper saguaro on a bookshelf, a strip of black-and-white cactus garland over a desk, and a hand-lettered print with the pun “Get to the Point” in a frame. These are the kinds of projects in this collection of more than 20 cactus crafts and printables. It mixes sewn, painted, paper, party and light-up ideas in one desert theme.

The list covers paper plants and paper succulents, stitch-along cactus cards for kids, watercolor note cards, cupcake toppers, a printable mini-cupcake stand, cactus and succulent pillows, a coloring page, toothpick cacti, cactus balloons, painted mini cactus pots and a faux neon cactus light. Simple prints with messages like “Be Kind to Yourself” fit in too.

Why cactus projects work so well

A cactus is easy to draw: a tall rounded body, one or two arms bent upward, and short lines or dots for spines. Since the outline is so simple, the same shape works as a felt pillow, a cupcake pick, a garland piece or a coloring sheet.

Paper and fabric cacti never need water and have no real spines, so they’re safe on a classroom shelf or a party table. The theme also fits summer parties, desert-themed showers, teacher gifts and dorm rooms.

How to make the main cactus crafts

Paper cacti and succulents. Cut three to five matching cactus shapes from green cardstock, fold each in half lengthwise, then glue the folded halves back to back so the plant stands up in 3D. Set it in a small pot filled with pebbles.

Black-and-white garland. Trace cactus shapes on white cardstock, draw spines and stripes in black marker, punch two holes near the top of each one, and thread them onto twine.

Cupcake toppers and a mini-cupcake stand. Glue small cardstock cacti to toothpicks or lollipop sticks for toppers. For a stand, layer round cardboard tiers in desert colors such as sage, terracotta and blush pink.

Toothpick cacti. Paint a foam or clay cactus shape green, then push toothpicks partway in all over to look like spines. Plant it in a tiny painted pot.

Kids’ stitch-along cards. Draw a cactus on cardstock, have an adult punch holes along the outline with a pushpin, and let children sew around it with yarn and a plastic needle.

Faux neon cactus light. This lamp uses electroluminescent (EL) wire, a thin copper wire coated in phosphor that glows when current runs through it. Here’s the method:

1. Bend heavy copper wire around a round handle, such as a hammer handle or broom handle, to form the cactus arms.
2. Hammer the wire flat on concrete or a bench block to stiffen it and give the EL wire a flat surface to sit on.
3. Cut a foam-board circle to fit the top of a plant pot. Push the EL wire up through a hole so the battery pack hangs underneath.
4. Starting at the battery pack, super glue the EL wire along the cactus, holding it with bits of tape while it dries.
5. Snip off the extra EL wire, turn on the battery pack and set the foam circle on the pot to hide the pack.

Another version wraps green neon rope light around a craft-wire cactus with thin wire, then anchors it with hot glue to a wooden block inside a spray-painted flowerpot.

Printables. Make your own prints in any design app. Use a green cactus on a cream or pale pink background with short wording such as “Get to the Point.” Print on cardstock, trim, and frame at 5 x 7 or 8 x 10 inches.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using thin copy paper for 3D paper cacti. It flops, so stick to cardstock.
• Skipping the hammering step on a neon cactus frame. Unhammered copper wire bends too easily to hold its shape.
• Letting hot glue touch neon rope light. The heat can damage it.
• Cutting EL wire from the wrong end. Only the part attached to the battery pack lights up.
• Leaving toothpicks, pebbles and small foam pieces where children under three can reach them. Adults should also handle hot glue guns, pushpins and super glue.

The EL wire battery packs on these lamps usually have three settings: steady on, slow blink and fast blink.