Christmas Cactus

The Christmas Cactus project was adopted by me around 2011 when I saw one in the window of a liquor store.  A six foot tall saguaro cactus with asymmetrical arms to decorate en lieu of a Christmas tree.  I have explored a handful of options for this build.  A few more details need to be ironed out before the final assembly.

The main structure of the cactus is 4″ PVC pipe.  The arms will not be permanently attached to the body so it can be stored out of season.  The arms will be drilled and doweled to the body to keep them in place and to keep them from falling out.  A detail yet to settled is how to build up the body and arms next to the joints for a seamless look.  I am leaning toward fiberglass for this.  Other options include paper mache and not doing anything at all.  The cactus can then be covered in pine garland or astroturf.  In a more complex version of this project, I plan to drill holes in the pipe and push Christmas lights through from the inside.  They will need to have breaks at each arm and halfway so it can be broken down.  The base is not yet decided; however, you can see from my plans that I have a few ideas.

I like the idea of an unconventional Christmas tree so I will likely see this one through to the end.

Another work in progress.