To say I was in for a shock when I spent my first Christmas in a very small apartment in downtown San Francisco would be an understatement. I'm originally from New Mexico [1], and Christmas is a big deal in my family. There's holiday music and the smell of green chile stew on the stove, and our house turns into a Winter wonderland — complete with a massive and gorgeous Christmas tree. But when I moved to a new city and had my own (much smaller) space, I couldn't go as crazy as I'm used to. So I decided to decorate my cactus [2] instead, and you know what? I really love it!
Because space is my biggest issue, a cactus seemed like a much more doable decoration for me. Even a smaller fake tree [3] would require a lot of garland, lights, and ornaments, all of which I have no storage space for. One of the first things I bought for my apartment was a giant Echinopsis atacamensis cactus. It felt like a little piece of home, and I knew turning it into my own little Christmas "tree" would be perfect. Keep reading to see how I decorated it and what you can use to replicate the simple, easy, and affordable holiday decor hack [4]!
Lights
Add the lights that you feel complement your cactus best. If you have colorful garland and don't want to overdo it, keep it simple with white lights. Or if you have a specific color scheme in mind, go with that. I chose these battery-operated LED twinkle lights.
LED Twinkle Lights
LED Twinkle Lights [6] ($13)
Garland
I wanted my cactus to be playful, so I wrapped it with this pom-pom garland. I only had to buy one strand to cover my cactus, which saves me a lot of space when it comes time to store it after the holidays.
Rainbow Felt Pom Garland
Rainbow Felt Pom Garland [7] ($20)
Ornaments
What's a Christmas tree without ornaments?! Although I only had one ornament, I felt like it was all I needed. You can either cover your cactus with a lot of small ornaments or choose one large one that speaks to who you are.
Rose Champagne Glass Ornament
Rose Champagne Glass Ornament [8] ($13, originally $22)
Tree Skirt
Finally, you need a tree skirt to tie it all together. I simply wrapped this tree skirt around the pot of the cactus, and voila — it was transformed into an adorable little holiday tree!
Felt Pom Tree Skirt
Felt Pom Tree Skirt [9] ($40)
Enjoy!
Celebrate your newly decorated cactus with a holiday drink. You deserve it!