Quilling Paper Cactus

Mini quilled cactus for those with less than a green thumb

Posted by Meredith A.

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Customizable tiny paper cacti with flowers and spikes

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You Will Need (7 things)

  • Quilling Paper
  • Quilling Tool
  • Glue
  • Kraft Paper
  • Tacky Glue
  • Quilling Mold
  • Small Paintbrush

Steps (10 steps, 35 minutes)

  1. 1

    Start with the main body of each cactus.

    Roll a tight coil from 3 connected strips, each 22″ long. Repeat to make a second coil.

  2. 2

    Mold by pushing the center of each coil until a dome is formed.

    Your fingertips or the rounded end of your quilling tool work just fine for this. But, I’ve recently gotten a quilling mold and I’m really loving it for my 3-d projects. The domes are a lot more even.

  3. 3

    I did find that the cacti looked a bit more natural if one of the domes was pushed a little further than the other.

  4. 4

    To set your dome, apply a small amount of glue to the underside, and brush so the entire surface is covered.

  5. 5

    Glue the two halves together.

    I also like to add a short strip of green right to the center of the dome to cover the seam where the two halves meet.

  6. 6

    Of course, your quilling paper cactus needs a pot to grow in!
    Start with a tight coil of 3 22″ brown paper strips, made the same way as the green.

    This time instead of molding a full dome shape, gently push only the center of the coil. The very outer edge should stay together, so it looks like the lip of a terracotta flower pot.

    Lightly press the bottom of your pot against a level surface to allow your pot to sit flat.

  7. 7

    I wanted my cactus to sit up a bit in the pot, as if it was really planted. A balled-up bit of brown Kraft paper did the trick.

  8. 8

    Cut 1″ strips of white quilling paper in half (watch those fingers!) and roll into a tight coil.

    Once they’re rolled, press firmly to flatten.

  9. 9

    Add your spikes to your cactus!

    I highly recommend getting some Tacky Glue for projects like this. Tacky Glue sticks paper together almost instantly but still moves a bit. Trust me, you don’t want to have to wait 10 minutes holding each spike as it dries.

  10. 10

    Have some fun figuring out different ways to make cacti!

    Some have random spikes; others have spikes in rows.

    I made a few with simple flowers on top, too!

    I did make one with arms on the sides that I made from long, bent 3D coils.

    I only recommend this to those quillers with lots of supplies and patience! It’s a little tricky to get the tubes to bend without completely unraveling.