She Turns Dollar Tree Pool Noodles Into The Cutest (And Easiest!) Summer Decor

Nothing says summer like sticky melting popsicles dripping down your hand. So what better way to welcome summer than with decor shaped like the sweet treat of the season? DIYers can replicate the beloved ice pop in pool noodle form, turning the bright foam sections into a garland, perfect for summer parties or season-long decorations for the patio. And the results might be even cooler than this pool noodle DIY that brightens up your backyard (but why not make them both?).

One creator who shows just how easy it is to turn Dollar Tree pool noodles into popsicles is Crafting My Best Life with Lisa. The colorful pool accessories are a natural choice for this craft because of how many hues they come in (and how cheap they are at Dollar Tree). It's easy to customize the fun summer garland to fit your theme while capturing the brightness of your favorite frozen treat flavors. Go with a red, white, and blue theme for Memorial Day and the 4th of July, for example. If you're hosting a summer birthday party for your little one, match the popsicle colors to the rest of the party decor.

Another reason there are so many genius pool noodle hacks and crafts, like the popsicle garland, is because the foam material is so easy to work with. Use a serrated or electric knife to cut the noodles to size. You'll also need giant wood sticks, like these Tress Wellness Jumbo Craft Sticks, a string, and a large needle or sharp skewer. You can also add ribbon or large wooden beads as spacers. Finally, keep a hot glue gun ready to secure different components of the garland.

Knowing where you plan to display the garland helps determine the length and number of faux ice pops you need to make. You'll typically leave gaps between the bigger garland decorations, so you won't have to make enough pool noodle treats to span the entire distance. Choose your colors, and cut the pool noodles into sections. You'll want each popsicle to be several inches long, but there's flexibility in that based on what looks good to you.

To save materials, cut each jumbo craft stick in half. Dab a little hot glue on the cut end, and push it partially into the hole at one end of the pool noodle. That's all there is to making the popsicle portion. You can also glue together smaller sections, like slices of red, white, and blue foam to recreate bomb pops. If you want to create a dripping effect, drizzle a little low-temperature hot glue on the noodle or stick and paint it to match the noodle. 

String the popsicles up on the garland — thread the string onto a large needle, or wrap one end of the string to a sharp skewer and push it through each popsicle about an inch from the top. To keep the pops spaced out, use a little hot glue to hold them. You can also thread large beads or sections of plastic straws onto the string. Or, tie streamers or ribbons on the string to keep the popsicles from sliding. To make the garland noticeable at night, decorate with fairy lights by wrapping them around the string.