Easy Cactus Pin Cushion

This is a quick and easy project.

Makes a great gift.

Step 1: Cactus Pin Cushion or Funky Ornament

This is a little lockdown project that doesn’t take long.

Step 2: What You Need

You will need

• Felt ( I used a mixed pack of craft felt)
• Small flower pot or mini bucket
• Threads
• Stuffing (can be fabric scraps)
• Glue
• Paper
• Pen
• Basic sewing stuff

Step 3: Make Pattern

Fold the paper and draw a cactus shape, with a little frill, then cut out.

Step 4: Cut Out Cactus Shapes

Pin the pattern to your felt and cut out shapes, I chose to cut out 6, but you can do less.

Step 5: Stitch Togther

Stitch along one edge joining pieces together, I alternated the shades of green.

Do this until all are joined together. Leave stitching on the outside.

I used a sewing machine, but you can sew this by hand, felt is very easy to stitch.

Step 6: Stuff

Take some toy stuffing or fabric scraps and add a little to the top of cactus to give it some body.

Step 7: Time to Sew

Thread a needle with two threads so you have four strands when doubled.

Now stitch through from one side of cactus to opposite side from bottom to top, do not pull tight you are just shaping and providing structure.

Do this for all sides, in my case three lots.

Step 8: More Stuffing

Now carefully add some more stuffing to make cactus nice and firm, use a pencil or something to push it in.

Step 9: The Flower Pot

Take your pot or bucket, mine has a drainage hole which I don't need

Step 10: Cover Hole

I cut a small piece of felt, though you could use paper or cardboard.

I then glued this in.

Step 11: Pattern for "Soil"

Draw around top of pot to create a pattern for your "soil", cut this out slightly smaller.

Cut out in brown felt or cardboard.

Step 12: Stuff Pot

Add the stuffing or fabric scraps to the pot.

Step 13: Add "Soil"

Glue felt cover on stuffing.

Note add glue to circle of felt and not to the stuffing, otherwise it gets really messy.

Step 14: Add Flowers

Take some pink and orange felt (or any other colour you fancy).

Cut some flower shapes.

I cut circles and then stitched to make a flower shape. Stitch this to the top of the cactus.

You can also add a few scraps as mini flowers to the edges of cactus.

Step 15: Adding Spikes

Make small stitches on the edges, knot these leaving long tufts to look like spikes.

Step 16: More "Soil"

Cut another circle of felt as soil. Stitch base frill to "soil". These can be big stitches and don't need to be pretty.

Step 17: More Glue

Apply glue to the soil and stick them together.

Step 18: Almost Done

Cactus looks pretty good now, but not finished yet it needs something else.

Step 19: Yes Pins

I like to use glass headed or beaded pins to finish it off.