Add Some Festive Flair To Your Porch With A Simple Pool Noodle DIY

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Pool noodles are an extremely versatile material for DIYers. These whimsical foam strands are inexpensive, lightweight, waterproof, and easy to cut or otherwise manipulate into various forms for a vast array of projects. From organizing fishing tackle to keeping your plants cool, the possibilities are seemingly limitless. However, not all the applications for these foam cylinders are strictly utilitarian. In fact, you can add some festive flair to your porch with a simple pool noodle DIY.

Since they are waterproof, they are practically impervious to rain, snow, and ice. This makes them ideal for decorating porches and outdoor areas as winter weather sets in through the holiday season. There are a variety of ways in which they can be used for this task. However, the basic materials needed for every method is an ample supply of pool noodles and zip ties. Should you choose to forego the zip ties, for aesthetic purposes or simplicity's sake, you can choose a model such as the Oodles of Noodles SnakeWrap, which are pre-cut into spirals, and can stay in place by winding around objects.

Beyond those basic materials, what you will need depends on your imagination and vision for your porch. Additional décor and materials can include garland, ornaments, lights, paints, or a myriad of other festive materials.

Once you have your materials gathered, the first step is to cut the pool noodles to the proper length. Then, if you have hollow core noodles without a pre-cut slit, slice the noodle long-wise on one side using a box cutter or sharp scissors. If you have the snake-wrap style or are putting them atop a wide railing, you can skip this step. Next, place the noodles where you intend to have them, whether it be across the top of the porch railing or on vertical supports. Then, use the zip ties to hold them in place. Again, this is not necessary with the snake-wrap style.

The simplest DIY is to use holiday-colored pool noodles to cover your railing and supports in the manner described above. Those looking for more clever ways to add holiday spirit to front porches should consider that the first step. Once the pool noodles are secured to the porch railings, they can serve as a base for the other décor you want to add. One simple addition is to wrap a layer of lights or garland around the foam, securing it in place with zip ties. Easier yet, you can wrap white athletic tape in a spiral over red foam noodles to create a candy cane or spiral hard candy look.

Another idea, which is a bit more involved, is to use a hot glue gun to layer Christmas ornaments along the foam noodle. When using various sized ornaments, begin by gluing the largest of them onto the foam. Then, go back through, filling in gaps with smaller ornaments. Use just a dab of hot glue: Enough to secure the ornaments without melting the foam noodle.