Question
how do you bonsai a rhipsalidopsis cactus from the beginning

Answer
John,

To bonsai it you have to grow it rampantly till it is large and old and has a woody trunk then you prune 2/3rds of it off until it looks like a tree. It is very time consuming and requires a lot of patience. In the meantime I reccommend that you join a bonsai club in your area and practice on shrubs and trees to learn the art of bonsai. Learning with other people makes it a lot more fun. Good luck.

Darlene