Simple Doodles & Easy Drawing Ideas for Bullet Journals: Prickly Cacti Edition

You don’t need to be a full-blown artist to include hand-drawn elements in your bullet journal, planner, or journal! Almost anything you want to draw in your journal can be broken down into basic shapes and by adding detail on top of it, you’ll have drawn something simple and adorable in your journal.

So if you’ve been wanting to try drawing in your journal, but have let a lack a skill or confidence let you do it, I’m here to tell you it’s possible and fun!

Grab some supplies and let’s jump into this continuing series on simple doodles and easy drawing ideas for your journal. We’ll be focusing on a prickly cacti theme for today’s doodles. Drop a comment to let me know what other themed doodles you’d like me to break down!

Supplies

While you don’t need a ton of supplies for these doodles, you will need a few! Check out this blog post for my recommendations, but look around to see what you have already.

Firstly, you’ll want your journal - I’m partial to the Archer & Olive brand.

Secondly, you’ll want a pencil. Any pencil will do, but I do love these twisty Paper Mate pencils (affiliate link)!

Thirdly, a pen or a couple of markers. I use two different thicknesses while doodling, a thicker 08 sized one and a thinner 01 sized one from this pack of Two Hands art pens (affiliate link). I like these pens in particular because after they’re fully dry, they don’t smear - at least not with the markers I’ve tried! You could also just use one pen or marker and double up for the thicker lines.

Optional: Some colored markers or highlighters to add some color to your doodles!

Prickly Cacti Doodles for Bullet Journals

Sturdy Cactus

You can start off with a pencil for this one and then ink it with a pen or marker after!

Image of the steps to drawing a cactus, the steps are described in full after the image.

1. Start off by penciling an oval shape with a flat bottom.
2. At the top of the oval draw a long oval with the bottom of it overlapping the original oval. Make the top of the long oval kind of wonky.
3. On one side of the long oval, draw a super bubbly backwards L shape.
4. On the other side of the long oval, draw another super bubble L shape.
5. Starting at the top of each of the four shapes, draw mostly straight lines going down, with either end curving slightly to give some dimension.
6. Add some spikes all around then ink your cactus.

Cactus Group

You can start off with a pencil for this one and then ink it with a pen or marker after!

Image of the steps to drawing a cactus, the steps are described in full after the image.

1. Start off by penciling a long oval where the top should be thicker than the bottom.
2. Pencil in another smaller oval with the top thicker than the bottom.
3. In front of both, draw a small rounded shape. Erase the parts that overlap with the two back ovals.
4. Draw one more small oval shape off to the side where the top is thicker than the bottom.
5. Starting at the top of each of the four shapes, draw mostly straight lines going down, with either end curving slightly to give some dimension.
6. Add some spikes all around then ink your cacti.

Spiky Cactus

You can start off with a pencil for this one and then ink it with a pen or marker after!

Image of the steps to drawing a cactus, the steps are described in full after the image.

1. Start off by penciling an oval shape where the top is thicker than the bottom and the bottom is a little flat.
2. At the top but not centered, draw a rounded shape.
3. Draw a thin rounded shape on top also not centered.
4. On top of the second shape you drew, draw another smaller rounded shape.
5. At the end of the small thin shape and the last rounded shape, draw one more small circular shape.
6. Add some spikes all around then ink your cacti.

Blooming Cactus

You can start off with a pencil for this one and then ink it with a pen or marker after!

Image of the steps to drawing a cactus, the steps are described in full after the image.

1. Start off by penciling an upside down rounded trapezoid.
2. Draw a rounded shape on top overlapping the trapezoid a little. Erase the overlap of the rounded shape.
3. Draw a small round shape off center and on top of the rounded shape from the last step.
4. Opposite the small rounded shape, draw a simple flower by drawing the middle petal then adding two petals on either side.
5. Starting at the top of each of the Three shapes, draw mostly straight lines going down, with either end curving slightly to give some dimension.
6. Add some spikes all around then ink your cactus.

Tall Cactus

You can start off with a pencil for this one and then ink it with a pen or marker after!

Image of the steps to drawing a cactus, the steps are described in full after the image.

1. Start off by penciling a long skinny rectangle. Make the bottom rounded but mostly flat. Make the top rounded.
2. Draw a bubbly backwards L shape roughly in the middle and overlapping the main shape. Erase the overlap.
3. Draw another bubbly L shape on the other side and higher up. This should also overlap the main shape. Erase the overlap.
4. On the same side, draw a smaller bubbly L shape on the bottom half. This should also overlap the main shape. Erase the overlap.
5. Starting at the top of each of the four shapes, draw mostly straight lines going down, with either end curving slightly to give some dimension.
6. Add some spikes all around then ink your cactus.

Prickly Cacti Bullet Journal Doodles, Check!

See? It’s really not too bad to create fun doodles even if you think you have no skill, these doodles are simple enough for anyone to follow along.

If you use these steps in making your own doodles in your journal, I’d love if you give me a tag! You can find me as TabletAndQuill on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook!

Interested in more posts in this series? Check out:

• Serene Koi Pond Doodles
• Lush Potted Plant Doodles
• Blossoming Flowers Doodles
• Beachy Seashell Doodles

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After going through all the steps, have you decided you don’t want to draw them yourself after all? Grab similar cacti in sticker form, available in a color sticker sheet, a color-yourself sticker sheet (for your own color palette), die cut sticker flakes, and in a bundle with an extra decorative sticker sheet!

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