33 Pool Noodle Crafts, Games and DIY Projects We Love

Yes, floating is fun. But when it comes to pool noodles, we like to think outside the box and put these budget-friendly toys to work where you least expect them. From creating designer-worthy home decor on the cheap, making custom Halloween costumes, mastering mudroom organization and making yard games for all ages — pool noodles have a lot to offer, and we’re here to share it all. Read on for our favorite ways to enhance your day with pool noodles. First up? A kiddie car wash.

Beep, beep! Tots in Tikes will be lined up around the block for a chance to zoom through your magical kiddie car wash. The playful PVC car wash (read: epic driveway sprinkler) is a core memory waiting to happen for you and your kids alike. The freestanding design connects to your garden hose to keep kids cool during the dog days of summer and features a rainbow mitter curtain crafted from pool noodles.

If you’re a fan of channel-tufted headboards but don’t want to splurge on one, this is for you. Create a custom, luxurious-looking headboard for a fraction of the cost using pool noodles, plywood and a blanket. Check out our step-by-step guide below for our in-depth instructions and materials list to make your dreamy headboard ASAP.

Hang your broom and mop on the wall without scuffing your paint or wallpaper using a pool noodle as a cushion. Measure the noodles to size, then cut slits into the noodle with a box cutter before mounting it to the wall with adhesive strips. Slide your broom or mop handles into the slits and, voila! This inexpensive addition maintains a tidy mudroom and saves money on repairing walls over time.

Celebrate Discovery's Shark Week poolside with a fierce cooler float this summer. Our fin-clad float supports a 28-quart cooler and keeps bevies in sight and within reach while you make like a shark and dive through the deep end. All you need to get started is a cooler, three blue pool noodles, a hot glue gun, foam, bungee cords, zip ties and staple crafting supplies. Hit the link below for an extended materials list and step-by-step instructions to make your float at home

Take your kids’ water fights to the next level this summer with these DIY super soakers. Cut a pool noodle in half or in thirds and slide a water-blaster pump into the noodle before handing them off to the kids. Pro tip: Create two teams using two different colored pool noodles and play a game of water tag until there’s only one player left standing.

Recreate this scream-worthy scene in your front yard this Halloween using styrofoam boards, basic crafting supplies and pool noodles. The summer toy continues to bring the fun through fall as the lightweight yet supportive base for these creeptastic tombstones. Get the scoop on making these frightening focal points for your yard, plus all the materials you need to make it happen, in the link below.

Head out on Halloween with the cutest kid on the block thanks to our ultra-simple cereal bowl costume. To make it, you need a small white plastic laundry basket, a white foam board and pool noodles in various fruit-inspired hues. Follow the link below for our step-by-step instructions to assemble your cutie’s cereal bowl costume in a flash.

Give your pollinator container garden an internal lift using sliced pool noodles. Not only does this budget-friendly addition give your blooms a boost, but the pool noodles reduce the soil necessary and aid in draining excess moisture, promoting healthy roots and happy plants.

Pull out your pool noodles and recreate this obstacle course mainstay, stat. The low-cost ladder-inspired set up is a foolproof addition to your backyard, whether you’re looking to make cardio fun (hello, high knees!) or want to occupy your kids with an agility course all afternoon. Another idea? Host a hopscotch tournament for your littles and friends.

Skip the dry gingerbread cookie kits and make this festive, freestanding gingerbread playhouse this Christmas instead. The whimsical house is made entirely from cardboard boxes trimmed with festive red-and-green pool noodle poles. Learn how to recreate this snowy wonder for your little ones with our step-by-step guide in the link below.

Hosting a Halloween party? Greet guests with a grim and ghoulish candelabra befitting the season. The gruesome, blood-dripping design comes together using pool noodles, craft supplies and battery-operated candles. Craft the ominous display for your entryway with our in-depth instructions and material list in the link below.

Set your kids up for a summer of non-stop nautical racing with these easy (and cheap!) pool noodle sailboats. All you need are pool noodles, foam sheets and drinking straws to create a fleet of boats and propellers for your pool. Find our instructions and assembly tips in the link below.

Bewitch guests and passersby alike with a pair of these striped-and-scary witch legs nestled in your porch planter. This craft is unbelievably simple to make by cutting a standard pool noodle in half, sliding wooden dowel rods into each half and sliding on Halloween stockings on each leg. Finish with a pair of old or thrifted black booties for a sinister touch.

Turn pool noodles into the ultimate crowd-pleasing Halloween costume: a basket of golden fries. Start with two red poster boards and tape yellow pool noodles cut at varied lengths to the top of each board to achieve a full look. Cut your “FRIES” label from yellow paper and apply it to both poster boards before attaching the pair with bungee cords. Drape the posters over your shoulders and head out for trick or treating in style.

Trust us, you’ll be(e) the buzz of your neighborhood in this Halloween costume. Create this whimsical Queen Bee ensemble using yellow pool noodles as a makeshift hive, a glittering gold crown and our instructions in the link below.

No pool? No problem. Put your old pool noodles to task and make our DIY slip and slide to keep your kids active and cool all summer. To make it, you’ll need 10 pool noodles, one mega pool noodle, a plastic sheet, velcro tape, six landscape or tent stakes and two sprinklers. Follow the link below to find our step-by-step tutorial with photos to help you assemble your slip and slide this weekend.

The secret to keeping your kids entertained at the pool? Ping-pong balls and pool noodles. Play our Water Word Find game by labeling 26 ping-pong balls with each letter from the alphabet, then throw them in the water. Cut a pool noodle in half lengthwise to create a home base for each player, then have them compete to see who can spell a word on their noodle first.

No painter costume is complete without a paintbrush, and we say go big or go home. Make a jumbo paintbrush using a pool noodle as your base, and top it with brown pipe cleaners to create realistic bristles.

Life comes with its fair share of hurdles — but few as whimsical and colorful as these. Make a hurdle course in your backyard by bending pool noodles into arches and staking them into the ground with pencils. Kids and pets of all ages will have a blast crawling through the arches. Our advice? Have a stopwatch ready and make a game out of it. Whoever makes it through the fastest wins a prize — even if it’s just bragging rights for the afternoon.

Bask in the presence of a rainbow this Halloween — no storm necessary! This statement-making costume will earn you or your kiddo compliments galore, and just between us, it’s far easier to assemble than it looks. All you need is some string, a pen, white balloons, scissors and seven pool noodles in rainbow hues. Follow our instructions in the link below to make this magical ensemble in time for trick-or-treating.

Trim your holiday tree and use up scrap wrapping paper in one fell swoop with this easy candy ornament. Cut pool noodles to three or four inches in length, then cover them with gift wrap in a pattern of your choice. Finish off with plastic wrap tied at each end to resemble a candy wrapper and tuck into your tree to sweeten as needed.

Cooking over a campfire is all fun and games until you learn the hard way that your knife isn’t covered and protected in your bag. Keep your knives protected and fingers intact by storing your blade in a cut-up pool noodle between chop sessions. To make it, slice a third of a standard pool noodle down the middle lengthwise and slice your knife into the foam for snug storage.

Style hack: Avoid unsightly creases on your clothes by sliding a pool noodle onto your hanger. Unlike a traditional wire or velvet hanger, a pool noodle offers a gentle curve that won't indent fabric and holds slippery frocks in place with its textured surface.

Put that rolled-up yoga mat and some old pool noodles to good use. All you need is a few simple materials and you've got a fun activity kids can do on the patio, deck or right in the backyard. Plus, it's perfect for rainy days indoors, too.