Easy Popsicle Stick Cactus Craft (Dollar Tree DIY)

A fun garden party decoration are these popsicle stick cactus plants. It is so easy to make faux cacti with jumbo craft sticks from the dollar store!

Of course, you don’t have to use them for a party. You could make these cute cacti to decorate your home with plants that you don’t need to worry about!

For a party, write each person’s name on the plant pot for garden-themed place cards.

Add a magnet to the back and create fun refrigerator decorations!

All of the materials I used came from the Dollar Tree.

This is a really inexpensive craft that can be made in 30 minutes or less!

Be sure to download our free cactus pattern to cut out the pots for the cacti.

Be sure to see these faux plant and faux flower crafts, too:

Helpful Tips

Jumbo craft sticks are usually found in the Dollar Tree. If you can’t find them in your store, they are available online on Amazon and Walmart.
You could use standard-sized popsicle sticks for this craft. Your cactus plants will be much smaller, and you will need to reduce the size of the patterns for the pots and flowers.
Instead of using craft foam flowers, consider using faux flowers, instead.
If you don’t have rick rack, you can use markers to draw a pattern on the pots. Or paint the pots. You could also cut out a pattern from craft foam, felt or construction paper to glue to the pots.

With your extra jumbo popsicle sticks, you can also make these popsicle stick coasters.

Another great use for the sticks is making these wildflower seed bombs or this holiday window decoration.

How to Make Popsicle Stick Cactus

Supplies

Free Craft Stick Cactus Patterns
Jumbo Craft Sticks
Acrylic Craft Paint (Light Green, Bright Green and White)
Craft Foam (Brown, Yellow and Pink)
Assorted Rick Rack ribbon in a variety of colors
Sharpie
Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
Scissors

Directions

Step 1

To create the barrel cactus base, line up five jumbo craft sticks side by side.

Stagger the craft sticks next to each other so that the top is slightly rounded. The two sticks on each side of the middle stick should be slightly lower than the top of the middle craft stick.

Cut pieces from additional craft sticks to the width of the barrel cactus. These are your support pieces and will be glued across all 5 craft sticks horizontally.

Next, trim down the base of the cactus with scissors. You want all of the sticks to be the same length on the base.

If you would like, you could also use a craft knife to trim the edge, too.

Step 2

To create the saguaro cactus, line up three jumbo craft sticks side by side. Just like the barrel cactus, create a rounded edge on the top by staggering the placement of the sticks. Have the middle one taller than the ones on each side.

Using scissors, trim a separate craft stick to the width of the cactus. You will want two different pieces that are this width.

Then, attach the sticks with a glue gun horizontally on the back, being sure they are glued to all three of the craft sticks.

To make the cactus arms, cut jumbo craft sticks in half. Then cut the rounded end from one piece.

Glue the saguaro cactus arm pieces together at a right angle, with the rounded end facing up.

Then attach the cactus arms to the right and left sides of the cactus base, gluing them in the back to attach.

Step 3

Apply paint to the popsicle stick cacti.

I used a light green acrylic craft paint for the barrel cactus.

For the saguaro cactus, I used a bright green acrylic craft paint.

Let dry and apply a second coat, if necessary.

Step 4

Print and cut out the cactus craft pattern.

Trace the clay pot patterns onto the brown craft foam using a Sharpie.

Then trace the flower patterns onto yellow and pink craft foam.

Cut out all of the patterns with scissors. Be sure to cut inside the traced lines for a clean look. Otherwise, you might see marker lines on your finished pieces.