DIYers Use Pool Noodles To DIY A High-End Vase On A Budget

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Objectively, you'd never associate the term "high-end" with the humble pool noodle. Brightly-colored and useful, yes, but you'd draw the line at elegant. But like you should never judge a book by its cover, you shouldn't discount this tube's capabilities. After all, you never know when you might need to employ a pool noodle hack for your garden and yard. Or, follow the lead of TikTok DIYer 2sistersstor and wrap a container in a cut-up pool noodle to craft a fancy stacked vase that looks anything but tacky.

Plus, you can customize the vase to your liking. Moreover, you won't have to spend too much time on this project. Just gather a few supplies and bring your vision to life. To DIY this easy decor using pool noodles, you'll need one pool noodle (leftover pieces from other projects or pool shenanigans will work, too), your hot glue gun, a roll of tape, and a cylindrical cardboard container or old vase to serve as your base. You'll also need a utility knife, like the X-Acto Precision one, to slice through the pool noodle easily.

Additionally, get a can of spray paint to hide your beautiful vase's not-so-glamorous origins. However, not just any paint will do. To ensure the noodle underneath doesn't melt and your decor doesn't get disfigured, pick one that has a water or latex base. Steer clear of enamel and lacquer-based spray paints if you'd like your vase to last a while. In case you can't verify whether a can is water- or oil-based, go for one that's marked safe for use on plastics, like Krylon's ColorMaxx Spray Paint. Besides this, you'll need some decorative elements, such as a beaded garland, beads, and rhinestones, to give your DIY a personal touch.

Once you have everything, take your pool noodle and wrap it around your vase-like cardboard container. This will help you determine where to cut your pool noodle and how many pieces you'll need to cover the base entirely. Mark the place the noodle overlaps with a marker, unwrap it, and cut it lengthwise using your craft knife. Using this as your scale, cut out three or four pieces of similar length. Or, play around with the length for a tiered or bottleneck effect. Either way, slit the pieces in the middle to form concentric rings for your vase.

Next, wipe down the pieces with a damp microfiber cloth or give them a soapy water bath if they're too dirty. Then, wait for them to dry and sand them a little with a fine sandpaper. Although these steps are optional, they'll improve the chances of your spray paint sticking to the cut noodle pieces. Now, for the fun part: sticking the ends of each piece with some thick tape and pulling them through your cardboard base. After you start seeing the beginnings of a stacked vase, decorate it with beads, rhinestones, or pearls to give it a high-end appearance. You can also leave it unembellished if you're going for a minimalist decor piece, or tie a tassel around its neck for a rustic look. Finally, spray paint it — horizontally for a smooth finish — and let it cure completely prior to carefully arranging flowers in it. Stick to artificial blooms and avoid real ones since water can be a risky proposition for your vase's cardboard interior.