Paper Cactus and Grasses

INSIDE : Learn how to make vibrant DIY paper cactus plants and colorful paper grasses to brighten up your home! This step-by-step paper craft tutorial is the perfect way to add a splash of low-maintenance greenery to any room. Best of all, you don’t need a green thumb to create these gorgeous, everlasting faux plants.

Collection of 3D paper plants in bright green papers with white pots

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This post has been updated since it’s original publish date of November 2016.

If you have been around here for long, you know I’m a big plant lover.  I love house plants, check out all my plant care posts!  I love outdoor plants. I love air plants.  I love cactus.  There really are not many plants that I don’t love, if we are being honest.

White pots of Paper Cactus and Grasses
Green paper, acrylic paint, small pots and pink rocks

When Oriental Trading told us that our November’s Supply of the Month project would be using Full Color Spectrum Paper Pack, I knew right away that I wanted to create DIY Paper Cactus plants and Grasses.  The best part is you can keep these plants “alive” year round, whether you are a gardening expert or a repeated black thumb!

Green Paper Grass with neon yellow stripes in white pot

DIY Paper Plant supplies

Paper Cactus and Grasses supplies

Folded Paper Plant craft

Step 1 Create your basic cactus shape

Download my 3D plant templates (seven included) at the orange button below if you’d like to create paper plants that look like mine. Otherwise, draw simplified plant shapes on a piece of paper.

Cut out the plant template shape you are going to make and trace it onto two sheets of green paper and following your lines, cut them out.

Trace cactus 3 template on bright green paper

Step 2 Build 3D plant

Once you have two exact replicas of the plant shape, place one sheet on a flat surface and fold in half.

Next, take the other plant shape and then fold it in the opposite direction. This basically is creating a “mirror fold” to create your 3-D plant.

Bright green cactus paper templates

Step 3 Add glue

Apply glue to the 3-D section of your cacti or grass and allow to dry. I used Elmers, but you can also use hot glue or even a glue stick.

Bright green paper cactus secured together with glue

Step 4 Add paint details

Once your plant shape is dry, use a contrasting acrylic paint color to add fun details like polka dots or basic leaf stripes with a thin paint brush.

Lime green, grass green and teal green paper 3D plants
Tall teal paper grass with neon yellow paint stripes

Step 5 Plant your cactus in a pot

I then crumbled a large piece of aluminum foil and placed it in the bottom of my small flowerpot so as to not waste the decorative rocks.

I then filled the top portion of the flowerpot with either white, pink stone gravel and gently placed the paper cacti or grass nestled inside.

White rocks with aluminum foil ball in pot

Potted Paper Cactus

Here is the thing, I love simple projects that LOOK harder than they are.  I was pleasantly surprised at how easy and fun these DIY plants were to make potted in these cute white pots.

Collection of 3D Paper Cactus and Grasses
Green paper, acrylic paint, small pots and pink rocks

I loved pairing bright colored papers, bright colored rocks and simple white pots.  They made such a lovely contrast against each other.

Don’t get me wrong, I will forever love the real deal plants… but these paper ones might be a very close second.  You can mix and match the color of paper and the paint embellishments to fit your exact style and taste.

Light green Paper Cactus with sea foam green lines painted in white pot
Green paper, acrylic paint, small pots and pink rocks

If you can use scissors and can hold a bottle of glue, this is a quick and budget friendly DIY craft worth trying out.

Olive green plant grass with pink painted line work in white pot

They are fun in a row on a window sill or in a low light location where you just need a little plant personality! The sky is the limit.

5 colorful paper 3D plants in white pots

25 of the Best Paper Flower tutorials

Check out this incredible collection of the some of the BEST Paper Tutorials! Be inspired to create Daisies, Poppies, Succulents and more!

OTC Blogger

And if you’re curious to check out allllll my Oriental Trading projects, head over here!

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3 Comments

  1. These are fab, so bright, so cheerful, so perfect for those dark corners where plants just won’t grow. (or for those people who just can’t grown plants of course)

    Reply
    1. delineateyourdwelling says:

      Thanks so much, Amber!

      Reply

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