If you haven’t noticed already, stores are already well aware of summer. You can’t go anywhere without being reminded of what you “need” for barbecues, beach trips, and chilling by the pool.
That means that there are tons of pool noodles around, so it’s time to stock up. Seriously, it’s incredible what you can make out of this one simple material!
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1. Form the pool noodle into a wreath and cover it in burlap.
A Candie Corner taped the ends of the pool noodle together and then just wrapped the burlap around. Add some floral decorations with hot glue, and you’re done!
2. Pool noodles can easily be hacked to hold paint brushes right where you need them.
Just cut to size and make slits for the brushes. Instructables points out that you can use this DIY to keep brushes wet or simply to hold dry brushes in a convenient spot.
3. Use a pool noodle to keep your drinks right by your side as you float around.
Hometalk cut a pool noodle to fit around a plastic container and then fed a rope through to hold it together. Instant floating cooler!
4. This simple topiary craft is a great gift — and it doesn’t even look like you used a pool noodle.
A Crafty Mix carved out the hearts from a pool noodle and then grated the sides to make the texture more leafy. Add some green paint and a twig, and then you can plant these adorable hearts!
5. Fill your tall boots with pool noodles to stop them from flopping over and making a mess.
Simply cut your pool noodle to size, and slip it right inside to help the boots keep their shape.
6. If you need a portable toilet, a pool noodle will make it much comfier.
Stick a garbage bag in a bucket and cut a pool noodle to fit over the lip as a seat. Once your toilet paper is on the handle, it’s smooth sailing for a camping trip.
7. You can turn your pool noodles into a super fun indoor basketball game for those rainy days!
A little bit of duct tape and a beach ball are all you need to occupy the kiddos for hours. Thanks to Ever Never Again for this project.
8. This pool noodle garland is such a fun way to decorate your backyard for a pool party!
This could totally have come across as super tacky, but I think it’s an adorable way to add some decor to your backyard. Thanks to Growing Up Gabel for sharing this one!
9. If you want a fun game to play outside, you can make this toss game!
I love the creativity from the team at While He Was Napping! Just like with the basketball game, you need some duct tape, and you’ll also want something to stake the game into the ground.
10. Can you believe that someone made furniture out of pool noodles?!
I am so impressed with these chairs that Valera Barnayev created. Do you think they’ll still float in the pool? That’d be so fun!
11. Pool noodles are a great way to keep little (and big) hands and feet from getting pinched on trampolines.
This is something I’m still concerned about every time I get on a trampoline. And Next Comes L knows the fear and found a solution!
12. Looking for a fun and cheap addition to the loot bags at your next party?
East Coast Mommy knows how to party on a budget! These pool noodle lightsabers are super easy to make, and will cost you next to nothing.
13. A pool noodle can be turned into a sprinkler in minutes for some outdoor fun.
I love this idea from Ziggity Zoom! With the hot spell we’ve been having, I’d try anything for a little relief.
14. If you want to experiment with making prints, a pool noodle could be just what you need.
You can cut designs into the pool noodle and put the paint right on, or you can add shapes, bubble wrap, etc. like Alisa Burke did and roll the pool noodle for those designs.
15. Pool noodles are perfect for making stick horses — or stick unicorns.
The pool noodles aren’t going to scratch up your walls either!
The Keeper of the Cheerios just made a cut in the pool noodle for the bend, slipped a sock over it, and decorated the animal up with fun ribbons for reins, googly eyes, and yarn for hair.
16. No one will ever guess these nautical pilings are actually pool noodles.
Just cover up the noodles with an adhesive paper that looks like wood and cut out knots for the top. Miss Kopy Kat tied them together with rope to create groupings that wouldn’t tip over.
17. If you want to just hang out in the pool without treading water, you should check out this pool noodle chair DIY.
Momtastic just cut and bent a pool noodle, keeping it together with zip ties and adding a mesh seat from a dollar store laundry bag. You can bob for hours, so make sure you slather on the sunscreen!
18. Make your backyard or playroom the place to be with one of these homemade racetracks.
Ramblings From Utopia has all the crafty details you’ll need to make one for your home.
19. A pool noodle and rope can make a skinny lamp sturdy and nautical.
First, The Lily Pad Cottage cut open a pool noodle and put it over the lamp. Some masking tape all the way around kept it on tight.
Then, this DIY artist just wrapped rope around the pool noodle, gluing as she went.
It takes a fair bit of rope, but the end result looks amazing. You can also change up the lampshade if the old one now looks too small for the sturdy rope base.
20. Shut the front door! If this isn’t the best Halloween costume idea you’ve ever seen, I need to know where you’re looking.
News Monkey found this hilariously creative pool noodle hack on, you guessed it, Pinterest.
21. Holding a bunch of cards in one hand can be difficult, especially for kids.
However, thanks to The Brown Bag Teacher, this problem can easily be remedied without ruining the fun of whatever game you’re playing.
22. I guarantee the kiddos will love you forever if you make one of these amazing playhouses for them.
The creative minds behind From ABCs To ACTs sure know the meaning of “go big or go home!”
23. I don’t know about you, but I’m always down for a few frames of bowling.
I’m loving the resourcefulness of Melissa from Polkadot Chair. Check out her tutorial and you’ll be putting up strikes in no time.
24. Now that students are on summer break, they’re going to be looking for fun things to occupy themselves with.
So, if you’re a parent who doesn’t want to hear, “I’m bored,” every two seconds, take some creative inspiration from Frugal Fun For Boys And Girls.
25. And if outdoor bowling and rocket flingers won’t do the trick, there’s always racquetball!
Ziggity Zoom demonstrates just how easy it is to transform a standard pool noodle into the perfect outdoor accessory.
26. Some pool noodles grouped together can make a pretty comfy footstool.
Cut your pool noodles to the right length and then glue them in a hexagon shape. Mother Daughter Projects did a final wrap with duct tape to keep the noodles secure.
Add batting if you want some extra comfort, and then get to the fabric — no sewing required!
Instead of sewing, you just fold over the extra fabric and use fabric glue to keep it in place. The top is just a circle of foam with more fabric glued around.
27. There’s nothing worse than being stuck indoors on a rainy day.
Thankfully, there are countless ways to entertain the family when that happens, including this fun tic-tac-toe board game, courtesy of Ziggity Zoom.
28. The appropriate reaction to this “stone” column is, “Wait, someone actually made that with pool noodles?”
But it’s true! The folks at Epbot cut pool noodles in half and arranged them in spirals around a concrete form tube.
Add rings around the bottom and a cap for on top, and then caulk in between the noodles.
Some spray texture will make it all uniformly rough. Then finish it off with paint, wiping away a watered-down darker color to create an aged effect.
Seriously. Pool noodles.
Pool noodles can be used for so much more than just floating around in the water!
Comment below to let us know your favorite pool noodle DIY, and don’t forget to share!
