We’re probably all familiar with pool noodles, those long and squishy Styrofoam-y “noodles” we use to help us float in the pool.
But did you know they have many uses outside the water, too? Below are 10 ways to use them for more than just keeping your head above water. And the best news? Not only are they super easy to craft into other useful objects, but they’re cheap, too (i.e., many dollar stores sell them).
All you need for these gigantic flowers are pool noodles and tissue paper… and some creativity, of course. But kids love making these, too, especially when they have friends over, so keep that in mind.
Yep, now you don’t even have to get out of the pool to get a drink. Just configure your pool noodle into a floating ice chest and you can stay in the water all day long.
Just cut across a pool noodle horizontally to create cute (and affordable) napkin rings… and child-friendly ones, too. And since pool noodles don’t just come in ordinary tube shapes, your future napkin rings can be flower-shaped, among other things.
I love love LOVE this DIY baby activity gym… made from pool noodles! You can then decorate them however you’d like. Soon, you may even become the baby activity gym connoisseur in your neighborhood!
Who doesn’t love a game of Tic Tac Toe? Bet you’ve never played an oversized version like this before! It’ll keep the kids entertained for hours! (And perhaps the adults, too!)
Tired of holding (and trying to balance) your mop bucket under the sink while it fills up? Well, grab your pool noodle instead and use it as a funnel. Easy, right?
At some point, who among us hasn’t scraped the side of our car or mirror against something in the garage (if not the garage itself)? Once you install these garage bumpers—made from pool noodles, of course—say goodbye to garage-created nicks and scratches.
Isn’t it the worst when you’ve finally fallen asleep, but then someone in your house gets up to use the bathroom and slams the door? Well, not anymore. When you make these door bumpers from pool noodles, you’ll sleep right through the late-night door slammers in your house.
You know how you hang a pair of pants on a hanger, only to see a big crease when you take them off and hurriedly put them on for work? And who has time to iron?! When you use a pool noodle, though, your pants will be wear-ready immediately.
Looking for an affordable, colorful way to child-proof your home? Then look no further than pool noodles. A friend of mine recently tried this, and it not only worked, but her kids started suggesting different colored pool noodles for different rooms of the house.
With Star Wars fever never-ending, every kid I know loves a good lightsaber and these pool noodle-inspired ones are perfect.
The only other ingredient you’ll need is duct tape to make the stems. Since these lightsabers are softer than plastic, store-bought ones, they’re safer, too. A win-win for all, in a galaxy far, far away… or in your very own backyard.
In addition to Simplemost, Natalia is an ongoing writer for Bustle (sex, dating, relationships, and money), HelloGiggles (pop culture and news), The Delite (feel-good stories), and Don’t Waste Your Money (yep, money issues!). You can also find her writing in the L.A. Times, the Chicago Tribune's RedEye, xoJane, Elite Daily, Scary Mommy, Elephant Journal, and Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies, among other publications. She has a Ph.D. in couch-surfing, having spent four years sleeping on over 200 L.A.-area love seats and sectionals, all in an effort to whittle down her student loan debt. She still loves couch-surfing in other cities, too (hint, hint).
