Introduction: Make Big Cactus Cutouts for Less Than $5!

By Just Might DIY YouTube Channel;
About: My love of making things started young, with a mom who was always coming up with projects and a dad whose tool collection still gives me envy. I got my love of bright colors from mom and my love of working wi…

We LOVE making things for our friends, so when a special little lady was turning three years old, we dove right in to make some fun "Three-Esta" decorations including these cardboard cactus cutouts. When we looked up how much these go for online, we were SHOCKED to find that some people charge $50-$75 for one similarly-sized cardboard cactus. Yikes!

We knew that we could DIY them for WAY less, so we grabbed some old cardboard boxes we had on hand, a little bit of paint and some Dollar Tree flowers and went to work, ultimately spending less than $5 on each one.

Before we go further, we will absolutely share that we did use the Glowforge Pro to cutout TWO of the cactus cutouts; HOWEVER, to prove that you don't have to spend thousands on a laser to make $5 cactus, we cut one COMPLETELY by hand, which is what we'll focus on here in the Instructable.

But, if you're considering buying a Glowforge, you can also get up to $500 OFF your purchase by using our referral code (which will also give us a little something in return):

   💰 GLOWFORGE REFERRAL CODE FOR UP TO $500 OFF 💰: https://glowforge.us/f/MJVAZMME

For now, we hope you enjoy this fun DIY fiesta party decorations. They were a hit at the party, and we are just thrilled with how cheap and easy it was to make these cardboard cactus cutouts. If you enjoy this Instructable and video tutorial, please consider subscribing to our YouTube channel. We do everything from home DIYs to furniture builds and flips, as well as crafts.

Supplies

(Links = Affiliate Links)

Glowforge Referral Link for Up to $500 Off: https://glowforge.us/f/MJVAZMME

Spray Paint: https://amzn.to/3OxBTVN

Spring Color Paints: https://amzn.to/3z74ETo

Dark Green Paint: https://amzn.to/3vceRNg

Hot Glue Gun: https://amzn.to/3DM40v5

Self-Healing Cutting Mat: https://amzn.to/3vbzvgD

Exacto: https://amzn.to/3J9aIzp

Craft Pliers: https://amzn.to/3Q9an1M

Husky 52" Adjustable Height Worktable: homedepot.sjv.io/Husky52

Cardboard Boxes (Free - Reused)

Flowers (Dollar Tree)


Affiliate/Program Notifications

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Step 1: Sketch Out Cactus Shape

We'll admit that neither one of us are artists, so we were truly winging the sketch of the cactus shape. However, it turned out WONDERFUL (and we kept the pressure off ourselves by remembering that these were for a child's birthday--not an installation at a museum).😉

With that, grab a spare piece of cardboard and a sharpie and follow these steps:

  1. If needed, find a reference photo online.
  2. Lay large piece of cardboard on a flat, even surface.
  3. Start by drawing the pot. We used a spare 16" wood round and a ruler to get the shape a little more precise on the pot.
  4. Draw the cactus shape coming out of the pot using short lines like a sketch. You'll end up covering this entire thing in paint, so don't worry if you have to make corrections.
  5. Keep working at your sketch until you're happy with how the cactus looks. 

Step 2: Cut Out Cactus Shapes

This step is where you'll probably want to be a little more precise, as jagged edges can take away from the overall look of the cactus.

Grab a large self-healing cutting mat and an exacto, and follow these steps:

  1. Use firm pressure to cut around the shape of your cactus.
  2. Work in small sections, cutting away excess cardboard to get it out of your way.
  3. For any areas that are supposed to be straight, like on the pot, use a ruler or other straight edge to guide your exacto. 

Step 3: Prime and Paint Cardboard Cacti

Now you're ready to paint! One thing we learned from previous projects is that cardboard loves to soak up paint. As such, getting a good primer layer down is essential to making the final paint job look good.

So grab a primer, some craft paints and your brushes of choice, and follow the steps below:

  1. Ensure you're working in a well-ventilated space and cover the surface you'll be working on with a drop cloth or scrap wood.
  2. Elevate your cardboard cutouts so they're not flat on a surface.
  3. Spray two layers of primer in white or grey on all cutouts, following instructions on your specific spray paint for dry and re-coating times.
  4. We waited 24 hours after the primer coat before we added the craft paint, as the primer is oil based and the craft paints are water based.
  5. Bring your cacti to life with fun paint jobs, using sponge brushes or rollers to lay down the paint.
  6. Allow paint to dry according to instructions on the bottles.

Step 4: Add Flowers to Cacti

For an extra 3D effect and flair, you can add fake flowers to the cacti. The Dollar Tree had some GREAT florals when we were making these, so we grabbed a couple of bunches and went to work.

Follow the steps below to add florals to your cacti:

  1. Heat up your hot glue gun.
  2. Use craft pliers to cut the stems off of the flowers. Make sure to trim as close to the flower head as possible to give yourself a flat surface for the glue.
  3. Add a healthy dollop of hot glue to the back of the flower.
  4. Place flower where desired on cardboard cacti. 

Step 5: Enjoy!

These cactus cutouts were such a hit at the party! We just secured them to the trim with painter's tape and added a few more fiesta-themed decorations to create the best little three-esta party.

With that, we hope that this tutorial was helpful! Let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.


And if you’re interested in checking out more of our tutorials, head over to our blog or YouTube channel.