Cactus Pin Cushions
Cactus Pin Cushions
These fun cactus pin cushions are the perfect gift for the sewist or plant lover in your life! You can pick your favorite and make just one, or make a few different types and have your own cactus garden for all your pincushion needs. The kit comes with everything you need to make at least 3 cacti. All you need is a scissors, a sewing needle and a hot glue gun. Let's get started!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Making the Barrel Cactus:
1. Use the provided template to cut out the circle for your barrel cactus.
2. Use a yarn needle and the green embroidery thread to sew a straight stitch (a simple embroidery stitch made by creating a straight stitch that can be any length, but it must be straight.) all the way around the outer edge of the circle. Pull the thread tight to create a rounded pouch and stuff the pouch with some stuffing.
3. Once you have it stuffed to your desired fullness, knot the green thread to secure.
4. Thread a long, green thread into your needle, knot the end, and come up through the middle of your puffy circle out through the top.
5. Go around and down the sides and go back up through the middle again to create one of your sections. Keep repeating this motion, staggering the placement as you go until you have 8 evenly spaced sections.
6. You’ll end up with your needle having just come up through the top to create your last section, so just go right back down again through the middle to knot your thread on the bottom out of sight.
7. Place a line of hot glue around the inside rim of the terracotta pot.
8. Place the cactus inside the pot, making sure it’s securely glued to the inside of the pot.
Making the Prickly Pear Cactus:
1. For this prickly pear type shape, trace the provided template on the olive green felt square.
2. Cut out two layers of wool felt with the pattern and sew all the way around your shape with the green thread. Leaving the bottom open.
3. Use a wooden skewer or crochet needle to push stuffing up into all the different compartments.
4. Using the scraps from the felt, fill the terracottta pot, leaving enough room to place a line of hot glue around the inside rim of the terracotta pot.
5. Use the provided template to cut out a circle from the olive green felt to make a ground for the cactus to sit ton.
6. Place a line of hot glue around the inside rim of the terracotta pot.
7. Attach the edge of the felt circle to the hot glue, making sure to fold the edges underneath to hide them.
8. Place the cactus in the middle of the felt circle, adhering it securely with hot glue.
Making the Saguaro Cactus:
1. Use the provided template to cut three sets of your dome shape from your wool felt.
2. Using the green thread, sew all the way around the edge of each of the dome sets leaving the bottoms open.
3. Stack the three sets on top of each other and sew a line down the middle of the fabric, sewing all the sets together.
4. Stuff each section with the desired amount of stuffing until your cactus takes shape.
5. Use the white embroidery thread and needle to make the spines for your cactus. To make the spines, thread the white embroidery thread through the needle and sew it through the edge of the cactus ridge. Tie a knot, leaving a short length of thread on either side. Trim if necessary. Space them evenly down the edge of the cactus.
6. Place a line of hot glue around the inside rim of the terracotta pot.
7. Place the cactus inside the pot, making sure it is securely glued to the inside of the pot.
Cactus Pin Cushions