Sometimes you look at one of your own designs and wonder if it could exist in real life. This one can: a mini Christmas tree made of 11 terracotta pots, about 7.5 inches tall (19 cm), small enough for a desk or a shelf.
Where the idea came from
On one of our Cottagecore Cats designs, a cat builds a very unusual Christmas tree. No branches. Instead, he turns small flowerpots upside down, stacks them in tiers, puts an apple on top, and adds some paint. It looks like our world: a cat, plants, a bit of imagination, and someone clearly enjoying the process.
So we started wondering: what if we turned this little scene into something you could make at home?
This is the first project in our new DIY series here at CatnBloom Studio. We’d like to do more than show you something pretty. We’d like to hand you a starting point. Follow it exactly, or take it somewhere else. Change a few details and you get a different story.
The build: 11 pots, three tiers
The tree is made of 2.5-inch terracotta pots: seven on the bottom, three in the middle, and one on top. Each pot sits upside down, flat bottom up and wide rim down. Together, the three tiers form a compact little tree about 7.5 inches tall, before the base and any decorations.
We started by working out the layout: the measurements, a view from above, and a view from the side. We compared a few arrangements and chose the one that fit together best. We also made visual mock-ups to show what the finished tree could look like. The diagram below shows how the three tiers are arranged.
What you’ll need
- 11 small terracotta pots, 2.5 inches (they usually come in sets of 12, so you’ll have one spare)
- a round base about 9 inches across
- hot glue and a small glue gun
- optional: thin string lights and a small topper, like a little wooden star
For the base, a cardboard cake circle works well and costs next to nothing. Sturdy packing cardboard you already have works too, and a round wooden disc looks nicer.
A glue gun is a tool you’ll reuse, so we don’t count it toward this project. Hot glue really is hot. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and kids will need a grown-up for this part.
The lights are optional. If there’s already a string in a drawer somewhere, use that.
How to build it
Step 1. Make the base
Turn seven pots upside down, flat bottoms up. Put one in the center of your base and arrange the other six around it in a tight ring, so the rims touch.
Check the fit before you glue anything. Then add a small dab of hot glue where the rims meet.
Step 2. Add the middle tier
Turn three more pots upside down and set them on the base in a triangle, so each one rests on the flat bottoms of the center pot and two of the outer pots. Check the position, then glue each joint with a small dab.
Step 3. Set the top
One pot left. Turn it upside down and set it in the center of the middle tier, so its rim rests on the three flat bottoms below. Make sure it’s centered, then glue it in place.
The structure is done: seven pots, then three, then one.
Step 4. Add the holiday touches
Glue a small wooden star onto the flat bottom of the top pot. If you like soft light, wind a thin string of lights around the tree.
But you don’t have to stop at a star and some lights. The fun starts when you decide what kind of tree this is.
Two ways to dress the same tree
Here are two looks, one for each of our worlds: Cottagecore Cats and Witchy Cats Plants. They aren’t kits to buy. Think of them as examples of how one stack of pots can end up looking completely different. Use what you already have.
Cottagecore Cats
A cozy, natural look. Star anise on top, wooden buttons, little twine bows, and whatever small natural bits are lying around: dried herbs, pinecones, orange slices.
You can also put a CatnBloom New Year sticker on the front of one pot. Our “2027 New Year Cat Decorating Sticker” (small size, 3.8” × 2.4”) is a good fit. It adds one more link back to the illustration: the idea from the T-shirt carrying on into your home.
For inspiration, we looked at star anise from Spicy World, wooden buttons from Crafter’s Square, and mini twine bows.
Witchy Cats Plants
Same tree, different mood: a little magical and a little odd. A tiny witch hat on top, clear crystals tucked between the tiers, green moss around the base. A CatnBloom sticker with a Tarot or plant design on the front of a pot ties it back to the collection.
For inspiration, we looked at SUNNYCLUE witch hat charms, YATOJUZI clear crystals, and CCINEE preserved green moss. One hat, a few crystals and a handful of moss are plenty. And if something that fits is already sitting in your box of holiday decorations, even better.
Same pots, completely different mood. It all comes down to the colors, materials and details you choose.
How much does it cost?
We looked for budget-friendly materials and treat these prices as a rough guide. In October 2026, on Amazon US, we found:
- a set of 12 terracotta pots (Yihang): $9.99. The tree uses 11, so you get one spare.
- a pack of 25 round cardboard cake circles, 9 inches (Pizety): $5.99. You need one.
- a pack of 20 thin string lights (LAMPHOME): $9.99, about $0.50 a string. Optional.
That gives you a sense of what the core materials cost. It’s not a list of things you have to buy new. Prices change, similar items turn up at craft stores, garden centers and dollar stores, and you may already own part of this list. Decorations have no set price at all. It depends on what you choose and what you already have.
We don’t use affiliate links and we don’t earn a commission on anything mentioned here. We’re sharing what we found so you can plan your own budget.
This is just the start of our DIY series
For us, this project is more than a way to decorate for the holidays. It shows how an idea from one of our illustrations can leave the T-shirt and become part of real life.
We’d like CatnBloom Studio to be more than a place to meet our designs. We’d like it to be a place for creative ideas too, so you can expect more seasonal projects here over time: other materials, other shapes, other ways to make holiday things by hand.
Today it’s a tree made of terracotta pots. Next we’d like to try something even simpler, like a tree made of paper cups. We’re curious how many ideas can grow out of one small scene.
And we’d love to see your versions. Maybe you’ll dress the tree completely differently, change the build, or come up with a story of your own. If you share it on Instagram, tag us and let us know we can feature it. We’d be glad to show your work on the CatnBloom Studio account.
You don’t have to copy ours exactly. Sometimes all it takes is one idea, a few materials, and a wish to experiment.
Because sometimes it starts with a small cat on a T-shirt. And ends with your own tree on the holiday table.