Cactus Pin Cushion

1. Using the photo (figure 1) below as a guide, draw a template on the cardstock and cut it out. It should be roughly 5" x 1.5" (12.5cm x 4cm). The top should be rounded on each side and come to a point. (The shape is pretty forgiving so it doesn't have to be exact, but you should try to make it symmetrical.)

2. Cut out 4 pieces of felt using your template, 2 light green and 2 dark green.

3. Draw your cactus face onto one of the light green pieces of felt with your fabric marker. Remember that you're going to need room on the edge for the stitching.

4. Separate the strands of your embroidery thread. Thread the needle with 2 strands held together. Embroider the face, following the outline you just sketched out. I use satin stitch for the eyes and mustache and backstitch for his mouth.
*If embroidery isn't your thing, you can always paint his face or cut the features out of felt and glue them on.

5. Take 2 pieces of felt - 1 light green, 1 dark green. Pin the edges together on one side only. Thread your needle with 2 strands of black embroidery thread again. Sew the entire length of that side, using either a whip stitch or folk art stitch.
*Hint: The smaller you make the stitches, the rounder your cactus will be. If you make the stitches large, he'll have ridges at the seams.

6. Repeat with the rest of the fabric pieces, alternating a dark green piece with a light green piece. You'll end up with a cylinder with a dome at the top.
*Don't worry if the bottom looks uneven or untidy, it's going to be hidden inside the flower pot.

7. Stuff your finished cactus all the way to the bottom. Remember that he needs to fairly firm in order to poke pins into him easily. If you're not sure if you've stuffed him enough, just give him a test poke.

8. Cover the hole in the bottom of the flower pot with a sticker or a piece of tape that's cut to size (from the inside). Put another sticker over the hole on the outside of the pot. Fill the pot about halfway with kitty litter. Remember to leave enough room to plant your cactus!
* Weighting the bottom will make it harder to tip him over. If you'd prefer not to, skip this step and put more stuffing in the bottom of your flower pot.

9. Squeeze a generous amount of glue around the inside of your flower pot, near the top. Plant your cactus in the pot. Make sure he's in there deep enough to be sturdy. Check from different sides to make sure he's standing up straight. Once the glue dries, it'll be too late to fix him.

10. Finally, stick him full of pins! Trust me, he loves it.

This project was contributed by kristen from Morbidly Cute

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