DIY Cactus Paper Mache Craft: Quick and Easy Tutorial

DIY cactus crafts are super trendy and growing in popularity this year, but for some of us, we don’t want to commit to another houseplant or assume that a gift recipient wants to commit to it either! Today I took some cute paper mache cactuses (or cacti–both grammatically acceptable–I googled it for all you grammar police out there LOL) and made these cute little DIY cactus crafts. They’re perfect for those of you that want the trendy look without the commitment of having to actually keep it alive! These cacti would look super cute as cactus centerpieces or even cactus party favor ideas! I think we may give these as teacher gifts this year for Christmas even!

DIY Cactus Craft Supplies:

Darice Paper Mache Cactus
Craft Paint(s) in green, white, black and choice color for “vase”
River Rocks
Mod Podge
Paint Brushes
Paper Bowls

Step 1. Start by painting the plant part of your cactus your desired green color. Since I was doing two, I made one of them a lighter, minty green and another a darker, grass green.

Step 2. Next up, I chose a light pink and a light lilac color to paint the “vases” of my cacti. I put on two coats and let dry in between.

Step 3. Now you add your dots and “v’s” to the cacti in order to make it look more realistic. On the minty green cactus I added small white dots. On the darker cactus I added little black “v’s”. Finally, I used a dark magenta paint to add little star flowers onto each DIY cactus to add a little flare.

Step 4. Here’s the fun part now, take some small river rocks and add about 1 cup into a paper bowl. Then add Mod Podge (I used Extreme Glitter) into the bowl (about 1/2 cup) and mix until the rocks are completely covered. Using a spoon, add the rocks to the “dirt” area of the cactus to create a more realistic look. Let the mod podge rocks dry for 24 hours and you’ll come back to a cute little paper mache DIY cactus that is super cute and fun!!