AI powered

This Week’s Stories

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo With DIY Stuffed Cactus Pillows

Kelly Bryden

Kelly Bryden, an east coast native, is stoked to be a part of the Brit + Co team. Design, DIY, and fashion are her passions. If she isn't crafting you can catch her on the dance floor or wrapped up in aerial silks.

Full Bio

Apr 29, 2016

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo With DIY Stuffed Cactus Pillows

I’m not really sure why we think cacti are so cute (um helllooo, they are covered in spikes!?). Maybe it’s just because we can’t get enough of their quirky little shapes! This Cinco de Mayo, we are bringing the celebration out of the kitchen and into our home decor with cute cactus pillows. We suggest keeping them up all summer because they are stinkin’ adorbs.

Materials:

— 1/4 yard green fabric

— 1/8 yard pink fabric

— 1/4 yard patterned fabric

— fiber fill

— cactus printable
— rice

— green Sharpie

— elastic thread

Tools:

— sewing machine

— hot glue gun

— scissors

— sewing pins

Instructions:

1. Download the cactus printable and cut out the patterns.

2. Fold your fabric pieces in half. Pin the pieces to the appropriate fabric colors and cut out of the fabric. Cut out six of the petal shapes.

3. Sew around the edges of all pieces, leaving an opening, and stuff with fiber fill.

4. Hot glue the edges of the petals closed and then glue them together to form a flower. Finish off by gluing the circle to the center of the flower.

5. Stuff the cactus body and then pin to the center of the circle base. Stitch the two pieces together.

6. Sew the edges of the long rectangle together to form a cylinder. Fold and stitch the edge over to create a quarter-inch hem. Weave a seven-inch piece of elastic through the hem, then tie together to form a loop.

7. Pin the cylinder to the circle base, making sure good sides are facing in, and then sew.

8. Turn the cylinder right side out and fill with rice and fiber fill.

9. Decorate your cactus with spikes drawn with a Sharpie, and top off by hot gluing the flower in place.

Download the printable pattern and cut out all four cactus pieces. Fold the green fabric and pin the long cactus oval to the fabric — then cut out.

Cut out the rest of the cactus pattern and pin onto your desired folded fabrics. Cut them out. The pointed oval is for the leaves of the flower — you will need to cut out six copies of this pattern.

The last piece you will need is a rectangle that measures 28 x 9 inches. This is for the cactus pot.

Sew around 3/4 of each piece with the outside facing in. Remember to go slow around the curves!

Turn your pieces right side out and stuff with fiber fill. Don’t overstuff because it will make your small pieces harder to work with.

Hot glue the openings of the flower petals closed, then glue them to each other. Finish off by gluing on the center of the flower.

Stuff the cactus body and then pin to the center of the backside of the circle base. Stitch the two pieces together.

Grab your long rectangle and sew the edges together to form a cylinder. Fold and stitch the edge over to create a quarter-inch hem.

Cut a piece of elastic cord that is seven inches and feed it through the hem. Tie the elastic cord together to create a stretchy loop.

Pin the cylinder to the circle base and then sew. Remember to pin good sides facing each other ;) Turn the pot right side out so the cactus now sits in the bottom of the patterned cylinder.

Fill the patterned cylinder with a layer of rice and then fiber fill. The rice will help the cactus sit up straight. If you add enough rice, this cute cactus can be used as a doorstop!