Faux potted cacti are trending in home decor right now! Learn how to make easy DIY faux cactus with yarn pom poms in this fun tutorial.
Some things are just better when they're tiny, and when it comes to clay pots, I couldn't agree more!
When I saw these mini terracotta clay pots, I had to have them.
I used them to make faux potted plants with paper flowers made from recycled toilet paper rolls, and I love how they turned out.
Today, we’re pairing mini clay pots with yarn pom poms to make adorable DIY faux cactus plants!
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Why You'll Love This Craft
- Yarn is one of the cheapest, most widely available craft supplies imaginable, which means you likely have a craft room full of it already!
- Making yarn pom poms is easy and fun, which means this project is easy and fun!
- These potted faux cactus plants make fantastic handmade gifts because there's just something lovely about a real terracotta pot combined with a plant made out of yarn.
Craft Supplies Needed
- Yarn - Medium-weight yarn works the best for making pom poms.
- Scissors - Sharp scissors are key because it makes cutting the yarn easier!
- Mini Terracotta Pots - These teeny terra cotta pots are the inspiration behind the whole project!
- Hot Glue Gun and Glue - Craft room staples!
DIY Faux Cactus made with Yarn Pom Poms | Faux Potted Cacti
Step 1. Using the handmade yarn pom pom tutorial, make pom poms in the colors of your choice.
For the main body of my cacti, I used green yarn and made BIG pom poms (wrapping 200 times on 4 fingers, as the pom pom tutorial describes.)
NOTE: This photo illustrates how a yarn's thickness impacts how big the pom poms will become. The light aqua yarn on the left is thicker than the army green yarn on the right. Both bundles are made by wrapping yarn around 4 fingers 200 times, but you can see how the light aqua bundle is bigger, and will make a larger pompom.
Step 2. You don't need to trim them into perfect round balls yet.
You can leave the pom poms scraggly for now.
Step 3. I also made smaller pom poms to use as flowers on top of the cactus plants.
In this photo, the yellow bundle on the left is a pom pom made using 2 fingers, wrapping 50 times as outlined in my handmade pom pom post.
The yellow bundle on the right is using the fork method for making pom poms, and wrapping 50 times, making a smaller pompom.
Step 4. I also made another smaller pompom out of pink yarn that will become one of the cactus flowers.
Step 5. I also decided to make a cactus that would need two big pom poms.
Each pom pom is made by wrapping 4 fingers with yarn 200 times.
Step 6. Now it's time to tentatively assemble the potted cactus plants, trimming as you go.
NOTE: This is a NO-GLUE step. You are only testing out what you want the plants to look like.
Start with one cactus and put the body pom pom into a pot.
You can trim it into its desired shape, watching it transform as you go. The poms can be round or oblong, depending on the look you're going for.
Add the "flower" poms too, to get an idea of what they'll look like when they're done.
Do NOT glue yet; this is just the testing step.
Step 7. Once all of the pompoms are trimmed and you know how each plant will be assembled, add hot glue to the inside of a clay pot.
Step 8. Insert the pom pom and hold it in place while the glue dries.
If you are doing a two-bundle cactus like the one pictured below, glue a second pom pom section in.
Step 9. Once the main section(s) of cacti are glued into the pots, hot glue the flowers onto the top of the cacti.
Wait until the glue dries, and give the poms a gentle pull.
Add more glue to secure the flowers if necessary.
Step 10. Once you've hot glued all of the cactus sections into their clay pots and added all of the smaller "flower" pom poms to the tops of the cacti, you can see if anything needs to be trimmed.
Finish any last-minute trims and you are DONE!
Common Questions
We have an in-depth tutorial showing how to make yarn pom poms by hand, as well as how to use a pom pom maker to make yarn pom poms. And for tiny yarn pom poms, we have a tutorial showing how to use a fork to make yarn pom poms. Between those three tutorials, you are all set!
As we found in our post where we compared different types of yarn looking for the best yarn for making pom poms, medium-weight yarn works the best for making beautiful yarn pom poms! That is good news too because it's often the cheapest type of yarn, and comes in a zillion colors.
Our mini terra cotta clay pots are from Dollar Tree, but you can find them at big box stores, craft stores, and online as well, like on Amazon.
These tiny clay pots are so cute, I had to have them when I saw them.
I used them to make faux potted flowers with paper flowers made from toilet paper rolls, and they were a huge hit.
Since we're on a yarn pom craze right now, it's only fitting that we try to figure out a fun project that uses yarn pom poms and these little clay pots.
What better than to turn them into faux cacti; they're trendy, happy, and so cute!
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DIY Faux Cactus made with Yarn Pom Poms | Faux Potted Cacti
Materials
- Yarn
- Scissors
- Mini Terracotta Pots
- Hot Glue Gun and Glue
Instructions
- Using the handmade yarn pom pom tutorial, make pom poms in the colors of your choice.For the main body of my cacti, I used green yarn and made BIG pom poms (wrapping 200 times on 4 fingers, as the pom pom tutorial describes.)NOTE: This photo illustrates how a yarn's thickness impacts how big the pom poms will become. The light aqua yarn on the left is thicker than the army green yarn on the right. Both bundles are made by wrapping yarn around 4 fingers 200 times, but you can see how the light aqua bundle is bigger, and will make a larger pompom.
- You don't need to trim them into perfect round balls yet.You can leave the pom poms scraggly for now.
- I also made smaller pom poms to use as flowers on top of the cactus plants.In this photo, the yellow bundle on the left is a pom pom made using 2 fingers, wrapping 50 times as outlined in my handmade pom pom post.The yellow bundle on the right is using the fork method for making pom poms, and wrapping 50 times, making a smaller pompom.
- I also made another smaller pompom out of pink yarn that will become one of the cactus flowers.
- I also decided to make a cactus that would need two big pom poms.Each pom pom is made by wrapping 4 fingers with yarn 200 times.
- Now it's time to tentatively assemble the potted cactus plants, trimming as you go.NOTE: This is a NO-GLUE step. You are only testing out what you want the plants to look like.Start with one cactus and put the body pom pom into a pot.You can trim it into its desired shape, watching it transform as you go. The poms can be round or oblong, depending on the look you're going for.Add the "flower" poms too, to get an idea of what they'll look like when they're done.Do NOT glue yet; this is just the testing step.
- Once all of the pompoms are trimmed and you know how each plant will be assembled, add hot glue to the inside of a clay pot.
- Insert the pom pom and hold it in place while the glue dries.If you are doing a two-bundle cactus like the one pictured below, glue a second pom pom section in.
- Once the main section(s) of cacti are glued into the pots, hot glue the flowers onto the top of the cacti.Wait until the glue dries, and give the poms a gentle pull.Add more glue to secure the flowers if necessary.
- Once you've hot glued all of the cactus sections into their clay pots and added all of the smaller "flower" pom poms to the tops of the cacti, you can see if anything needs to be trimmed.Finish any last-minute trims and you are DONE!
Notes
- Medium-weight yarn works best for making yarn pom poms, and it comes in tons of colors (and is usually the cheapest option!)
- Make sure your scissors are sharp because it makes it easier to cut the yarn into a pretty pom pom.
- Look for mini terracotta pots at dollar stores, big box stores, craft stores, or online on Amazon!
Gabrielle Fausel
How big are the pompom balls roughly? 1in, 2in?
Laura
Hi Gabrielle! It depends on how big your clay pots are - you want them to be bigger than the diameter of your pots. But I used some pompoms that were big - 3" maybe, and then some that were smaller. Remember, you want to make them bigger to start with, because the pompoms get smaller as you trim away the excess yarn to make them even and round. So start big and you can always make them smaller! I hope that helps.
Kelly
These are so cute. How long would they take a novice to make?
Laura
Hi Kelly! It might take a bit to get the hang of making a yarn pom pom at first, but it doesn't really take all that long! It takes me only a few minutes per pom pom. I would start just making a sample pom pom to get the hang of it, and then you can use the yarn you want for the faux cactus. Let me know how it goes!
April
Is there a print version? I will be helping at church camp this week and I want to make this, but I would love to have a printable version of instructions in case I do not have reception. Thanks for your time!
Laura
Hi April! There is now a print version for these instructions! I know it's too late for your church camp, but it's there for future use if needed!
Pamela
what a wonderful job, I am delighted. I want to try something like this.
Laura
Thanks for the kind comment, Pamela! I hope you do try them and I'd love to hear how it goes!
Elisabeth Phou
Hi, did you use 2 inch clay pots?
Laura
Hi Elisabeth! Yes, that's correct; they were 2" tiny pots that came in a 2-pack from my local Dollar Tree last year!