How To Make A Hay Bale Swimming Pool (Yes, This Is A Real Thing!)
There’s nothing like a warm weekend to make you think: How incredible would it be to have a pool in my backyard?
You can daydream all you want about diving into the cool blue water of your very own pool, or you can go and build yourself a hay bale swimming pool. That’s right! Such a thing exists.
Not only does a hay bale pool not cost an arm and a leg (installing an in-ground pool can set you back, minimum, $30,000), you can always cart it away once you’ve had your fun.
As the handy Australian site Traveller explains, a hay bale swimming pool can be yours with:
- 14 bales of hay
- a large tarp
- a water source
- heavy duty tape
NOTE: As our wise audience development manager, Christina, pointed out, you can more easily procure straw bales than hay bales. Lowe’s and Home Depot sell straw bales for around $7.50 a pop, so 14 would cost you about $105. You can also visit a local landscaping company, and they may sell straw bales to you for an even cheaper cost—around $4.00 a bale. She rides horses, so she knows her stuff.
Once you get your supplies:
1. Lay the bales out on the ground where you want your pool to live. If you want a rectangular pool, use four bales on two sides and three bales on the two ends.
2. Cover them with your tarp, making sure to tuck the sides of the tarp underneath the outside edge of the bales. Wrap a rope around the exterior of the pool to help hold the tarp in place.
3. Use the heavy-duty tape to patch any holes that may arise. Straw and hay can be sharp, after all, and can puncture your tarp.
4. Fill with water, wait for the sun to warm it a bit, then enjoy!
RELATED: How To Build Your Own Backyard Bowling Alley
Now, if you want to get a bit fancier (and more permanent) you can build a hay or straw bale pool and then build a wooden structure around it, as the enterprising folks in this video have done:
DIY Pallet Pool Instead
If pallets are more your style than straw bales, we’ve got good news for you. You can build a pallet pool!
Don’t believe us? Here’s a nice example of a finished project from Instagram user ez1983:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMf-f5ODHVI/?tagged=palletpool
The structure was first seen in a now-viral Facebook post from 2015, but has since gone on to inspire the masses to create similar structures in backyards across the country — because they’re ideal for summer swimming on a budget.
Check out the original post, from Facebook user Torben Jung, below:
Building Your Pallet Pool
Constructing a pallet pool can cost as little as $80, and if all goes smoothly you should see the fruits of your labor after just a few hours of work.
You begin building your pool by laying down a large tarp and from there you use wooden pallets to create the pool’s base.
Next, you screw them together, adding wood planks on top to keep them together. From here you’re going to need a whole lot of waterproof lining to cover the interior of your soon-to-be pool.
https://www.instagram.com/p/_haboQC4JY/?tagged=palletpool
Once this is completed, you’ll add one more layer of lining and ensure it’s secure. If you’re feeling fancy you can add a pump to keep the water clean, otherwise, simply fill your new pool with water and enjoy!
RELATED: These swimming pools are made from recycled shipping containers!