In this 4 part mini series I will be giving you 4 detailed posts on how to make your own variations of Cacti.
This pattern is for the Desert Cactus.
These cacti patterns are also incredibly adaptive and you can use the basic parts to create hundreds of unique cacti, you can even combine the different variations in the same pot.
This mini series include 4 variations of basic Cacti:
- Prickly Pear Cactus
- Round Barrel Cactus
- Tall Cactus
- Dessert Cactus
Each pattern has the exact same “soil” pattern and the same mini plant pot.
Difficulty: Beginner
Time to create: 1-2 hours per cactus
Please feel free to sell what you make but please reference me and this pattern if you do. Do not sell this pattern or redistribute as your own. If you want to share this pattern, send a link to this page
What you’ll need:
- US 4 (3.5mm) Crochet Hook
- Yarn A: 20g brown yarn
- Yarn B: 20g green yarn
- Stitch marker
- Sewing Needle
- Acrylic toy stuffing – I get mine here
- Small Terracotta Plant Pot – 6cm x 6.8cm x 4cm
- Pipe cleaner (optional)
Abbreviations:
- MR – Magic ring
- CH – Chain
- SS – Slip Stitch
- SC – Single crochet
- SC Inc – Two single crochet stitches in the same stitch
- SC2tog – Single Crochet two stitches together in the front loop only.
- * – Repeat from star to end
- FO – Fasten off
Soil
Using yarn A:
Round 1: MR 6 (6)
Round 2: *SC Inc (12)
Round 3: *1 SC, SC Inc (18)
Round 4: 1 SC, *SC Inc, 2 SC until last stitch, 1 SC (24)
Round 5: *3 SC, SC Inc (30)
Round 6: 2 SC, *SC Inc, 4 SC until last 2 stitches, 2 SC (36)
Note: If your pot is larger continue increasing in this way until the circumference of the soil fits just inside the pot as pictured below.
At round 7:
Round 7- 15: SC around (36)
Note: If your pot is larger continue until soil fits just inside the pot as pictured below.
Round 16: 2 SC, *SC2tog, 4 SC until last 2 stitches, 2 SC (30)
Round 17: *3 SC, SC2tog (24)
Round 18: 1 SC *SC2tog, 2 SC until last stitch, 1 SC (18)
Round 19: *1 SC, SCtog (12)
Round 20: *SCtog (6)
FO.
Cactus
Body
Using Yarn B:
Round 1: MR 6 (6)
Round 2: *SC Inc (12)
Round 3: *1 SC, SC Inc (18)
Round 4: 1 SC, *SC Inc, 2 SC until last stitch, 1 SC (24)
Rounds 5-19: SC around (24)
Round 20: 1 SC *SC2tog, 2 SC until last stitch, 1 SC (18)
FO – leave tail for sewing.
Stuff firmly.
Arms (Make 2)
Using Yarn B:
Round 1: MR 6 (6)
Round 2: *SC Inc (12)
Rounds 3-8: SC around (12)
Rounds 9: (for this last row stop working in rounds) turn and do not CH, SC 8.
FO – leave tail for sewing
Lightly stuff.
If you want the arms to have more of a bend, fold a short piece of pipe cleaner so it is the length of the arm. Place inside with the stuffing.
Assembly
Sew the body of the cactus to the soil at approximately round three of the soil pattern.
To sew the arms to the cactus. Place the arms with pins to the body approximately 6 rounds up from the bottom of the body of the cactus and on opposite sides.
Place the arms facing upwards, so row 9 is facing downwards.
Sew the arm of the cactus to the body of the cactus. If you have used pipe cleaner, once sewn in place bend the pipe cleaner to create an upwards curve.
Don’t forget to make a little crocheted cactus family!
If you make your own miniature cactus plants with this pattern, I would love to see them! You can share your photos on my Facebook page, tag me on Twitter (@zocreates) or Instagram (@zoe.creates) and you can use the hashtag #zoecreates.
And don’t forget to like and follow my social media or you can sign up to my mailing list if you’d like to see more patterns like this one!
Happy Making!
Zoe
Thank you for your pattern Zoe 🙂 I’ve dreamt about making these little cuties for quite a some time 😉
:* now I have to find pots… yarn is waiting!
Greetings from Gdańsk :*
Thank you! I would love to see how your Cacti turn out! I got my pots quite cheap from Ebay xx
Hey Zoe, I follow you on Instagram which is how I found out about your blog. I fell in love with your cacti so thank you for sharing the patterns! Quick question and apologies if I missed it, but what weight yarn did you use? Beautiful blog btw 🙂
Hi Lisa
Thank you for you comment! The yarn is a DK weight, but an Aran weight yarn would also work for this project! Would love to see any of the Cacti you make, if you decide to make them.
Zoe 🙂
Thank you for this great patterns! I have 1 question: do you not stuff the soil? Bye.
I stuff the soil on these patterns to make sure they fit snuggly in their pots!
Thank you for quick answering. It was not described, so I was a bit doubting.
I will do so.
Happy crocheting.
Hi Zoe,
Im in the USA what does 20 g yarn in USA terms?
Thanks!
Geena
Hi Geena
20 grams of DK weight yarn works out for the yarn I used it to be approximately 30-40 meters of yarn.
Hope this helps!
Zoe
Thanks so much for sharing these patterns. Any ideas how I can increase the size of this cacti pattern?
Thanks Jen
Hi Jen, if I were to increase the pattern I would just continue with the increase rounds until it got to the size I was holding for, add in a couple more rounds of the SC around and then match the decrease rounds to the amount of increase rounds completed! Hope this helps.
Thanks
Zoe
Zoe….Thank you for sharing your catus family. I think these are the sweetest little thing…Petey
I can’t wait to make this 🙂 Would love if I could download it, as a pdf 🙂
Hermosos trabajos Zoe…
Te felicito !!!
Are you able to give an alternative to the Magic Ring, I just can’t get to grips with it, however many tutorials I try 😕
Within the notes section I usually include an alternative to the magic ring. This involves starting with a Ch 2 and using the second chain from the hook as your magic ring, then SC into that second stitch as many stitches as the pattern calls for. 🙂