Resin And Wire Cactus Decor

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

• Resin - For 10% off use code HANNAH and this link
• Braided wire & cutters
• Paint
• Plastic drinking cup
• Tape
• Glue
• Beads/stones
• Twine

*Always follow the appropriate safety measures when handling resin*

STEP ONE - WATCH MY YOUTUBE VIDEO

As I mentioned above, I have a video tutorial of this project up on my channel for you to watch if that's more your thing.

Just click the video link above to view. Please also consider subscribing to my channel for loads of crafty content using a wide range of mediums 👍🏻

STEP TWO - MAKING THE CACTUS STEMS

First you will need to cut 3 pieces of wire all the same length.

Bend the 3 pieces into uniformed U shapes.

The 'stems' can be as big or a small as you like, just make sure they're all pretty similar in shape and size to each other.

Then cut several short pieces of wire just under 2 inches in length. Unbraid the wire so that you are left with a pile of single strand pieces.

Create barbs by wrapping these thin pieces around the U-shaped stems roughly 2 inches apart from each other. Repeat this process for each of the wire stems and try to position the barbs in slightly different locations on each stem for a more sporadic look when assembled.

STEP THREE - MAKING THE CACTUS FRAME

With a few different shades of green, paint the wire stem pieces.

Do one side first and then let this dry before turned the shapes over and painting the other side.

Let them fully dry out.

If you have green wire then you can use this instead. You could also leave the wire as it is if you prefer.

Once the paint has dried, it's time to create the cactus shape.

Fill a plastic drinking cup with sand or some other material that you can prop your stems up in.

Create the cactus shape by standing each stem upright in the sand and overlapping them. Consider how spread-out the barbs are at this point and shuffle the stems around if need be.

STEP FOUR - CREATING THE PLANTER

When you're happy with the shape and over all look, use thick tape to hold the 3 pieces in place so that when the frame is removed from the sand, it keeps it's shape.

Pour out the sand from the plastic cup and then replace the frame back inside the cup once empty. The frame should sit nicely inside with the wire resting on the inside edges of the cup.

Mix up a small amount of resin, enough to fill the cup to the level you want. If you're unsure of how much resin to mix, pour water into the cup first and then measure how much water was needed for this.

Colour the resin any shade you like using either resin pigments or acrylic paints. I chose a terracotta colour. Pour the resin into the cup (trying not to get any on the wire) and fill to the desired level.

Allow the resin to fully cure.

STEP FIVE - FINESSING THE PLANTER

Once the resin has fully set, pull the cactus out of the plastic cup and remove the tape. This should be easy as resin does not stick to plastic.

Using stones or beads (or anything that looks like gravel) add hot glue to the top of the planter and stick the stones/beads onto it.

When the entire surface of the planter top is covered, glue twine around the top edge and wrap this around until approx half an inch is covered. Glue neatly in place at the end.

This is just one option for decorating the top of the planter, if you would prefer to do something else then go for it!

And that's it! So easy and very cute!

This cactus is now sitting on the top shelf of my desk along with my cement base cactus. I'm tempted to make a whole family of them now!

Let me know what you think!

Thanks so much again for taking the time to view my post today and please do remember to check out my YouTube channel and consider subscribing 👍🏻

I also have an Etsy store where you can get 10% off anything using my special code HOMETALK10.

Until next time, happy crafting! x

💙