Tutorial: Make a Felt Cactus Pin Cushion

Today we're going to make miniature cactus pin cushions. These are very inexpensive and easy to sew by hand. I whipped up all 3 of these this evening. I love them so much, I'll probably make a few as little Christmas gifts this year! Lets get started...



Supplies Needed
tiny terra cotta pots- about 65 cents each at the craft store
pillow stuffing (mine is recycled from thrift store pillows)
craft felt in various colors
thread



Tools Needed
needle
pins
scissors
glue stick and glue gun

Cacti come in all shapes, sizes and colors so get creative with your shapes.

{To make the sectioned cactus}

cut 4 shapes in whatever size you like. I made some tall and thin, some short and full.



sew two pieces together around the curved edge using the blanket stitch, repeat with the other two pieces. You can change the look of your cactus by using contrasting colored thread. There's an excellent tutorial for sewing felt with the blanket stitch from FutureGirl

lay the sewn pieces on top of each other and sew a running stitch down the middle



open the ends and fill with stuffing. I used the end of a paint brush to help get the stuffing down in the small channels.





{To sew the flat prickly pear-types}

 cut two tear-dropped shapes and use pinking shears to trim the edges for a spikey finish


use a whip stitch to sew along the edges and stuff the open end



cut a long strip of felt, the same width as the pot height and roll it into a spiral, hot glue on the ends.

insert the spiral into the pot and squirt some hot glue on top

quickly stick your cacti in the pot and hold in place for a moment until the hot glue begins to harden.





decorate the cactus with pins and felt cactus flowers in bright colors. To make the basic blooms, I cut small circles in felt and folded the circles in half twice. Bring the needle and thread through the pointed end and sew onto the cactus

Pj had the idea to make the spikey little pink bloom on top of the tall one. To do this, he cut a short, thin strip of felt with the pinking shears and rolled a tiny bit of batting up in the strip.

 Use needle and thread to close the bottom end of the bloom and sew it on top of the cactus.

These are so cute, I think I'll make a dozen more and scatter them all over the house!