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How to make DIY faux cactus plants out of yarn pom poms.
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DIY Faux Cactus made with Yarn Pom Poms | Faux Potted Cacti

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.
Author: Laura Radniecki

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!