Ya’ll, let me tell you, I’m obsessed with cacti. A friend even gifted me a cute little set of salt & pepper shakers that look like mini cacti! So naturally, I adore making these little guys. I originally made them thinking they could be pincushions, but found that I love them just as much sitting on my desk or in the window (not like they really need light to survive). They’ve become a huge hit and they’re so easy to make, that I wanted to share with you all.
This is totally a beginner level pattern, so if you’re new to crocheting, I encourage you to give it a try!
For an ad-free printable version, you can purchase the PDF pattern for a small fee in my Etsy Shop here.
Note: This post may include affiliate links, meaning I may receive a small commission from purchases made, at no extra cost to you. The links I provide are for items that I actually own and recommend, I’d never recommend something I haven’t personally used!
Level: Beginner
Stitches/Terminology:
Chain St (ch)
Single Crochet (sc)
Back Loop Only (blo)
Slip Stitch (sl)
Materials:
Green Yarn (I use Lily Sugar N’ Cream Cotton in Sage, but any worsted weight yarn will do!)
Small amount of any color yarn for flower (I used Lily Sugar N’ Cream Cotton in Tangerine in this photo above)
Size F Hook
Poly-Fil (this is a BIG bag… you should plan on making a lot of cacti)
Tacky Glue (or any glue that will secure your cactus in its pot)
Small 1 1/2 inch clay pot (I bought mine at Michael’s)
Scissors
Yarn Needle
Finished Sizes: Approximately 3 1/2 inches in height (tall) or 3 inches in height (short)
To begin, ch either 16 (tall) or 12 (short). Leaving a short tail, about 2 inches.
Row 1: SC in each chain across (15 or 11, depending on starting chain size). Ch 1, turn.
Row 2: SC in Back Loops Only (BLO) in each st across, ch 1, turn. It will create the texture in the cactus that you see.
Row 3-16: Repeat Row 2, ending on the opposite end of your beginning tail.
Row 17: Fold your rectangular piece in half and use a sl st in each sc and starting chain across to sew the two ends together. Keep a 6 inch tail and cut the yarn and pull through.
Taking the long tail, weave a drawstring-like closure around one end of your cactus. Pull tight to close one end and tie to short tail from beginning chain to secure. Be careful not to pull too hard here– the cotton yarn will break! I’ve done this too many times!
Turn your work inside out and stuff with PolyFil, leaving the long tail hanging from the top. Use the remaining tail to close the bottom of the cactus.
And with that, the body of your cactus is finished! You’re ready for the flower. Really, you can make whatever type of flower you want! A little pom pom on the top is always cute, too! Here’s the pattern for the flower I made.
For the flower, start with a Magic Ring. If you don’t know how to do the magic ring, here’s a great tutorial.
Round 1: Work 6 sc into the ring. Pull tight, Join to beginning SC with sl st.
Round 2: In each of the 6 sc spaces, Work *1 sc, ch 2, sl st*. This will give you one petal of the flower. Repeat from * to * around to create all flower petals.
Repeat round in each sc around to create flower petals (6 total), finish off.
Attached your flower to the top of the cactus using the yarn needle to weave the tails into the top.
To secure your cactus in your pot, put a thin bead of Tacky Glue inside the flower pot and set the cactus inside. Allow to dry for 30 minutes!
You’re all finished! Now you have a cute little pincushion or desk plant that you can never kill!
