Upcycle Dollar Tree Pool Noodles Into Gorgeous Bathroom Decor With This Clever DIY

Save your pool noodles from an off-season spent suffocating in the back of your shed and give them a chance to shine year-round as a gorgeous bathroom accent. Technically, the polyethylene foam tubes won't show once you're finished with the floral-themed project, but they serve as the anchor for the idea from Jessi Mokrzecki – she cuts a section of a noodle to wrap around the top of a round towel hanger and creates a faux floral arrangement in it. By leaving the bottom part of the metal ring exposed, she can still hang towels on it.

This project is an inexpensive way to hide a towel rack you don't love but don't want to replace. And it's the perfect way to decorate a bathroom for renters who can't make permanent changes. If you don't have a pool noodle already, pick one up at Dollar Tree for cheap. Then, head to the floral section to find some inexpensive faux florals (Dollar Tree has a wide selection for $1.75 per pick with seasonal and year-round designs). You won't need so much to cover the small section of pool noodle needed for this project. Grab greenery and ribbon (also available at Dollar Tree starting at $1.50 per roll) as accents, and you can create the project for under $10. 

Another perk of this project is how customizable it is. Say you're looking for boho bathroom ideas — choose dried flowers or fringe trim to fit the design style. And you can change up the look by simply swapping out the flowers on the towel ring topper. Even if your towel rack has a unique form, chances are you can easily cut and bend the pool noodle to the desired length and shape to make it fit.

Decide how much of the towel ring you want to cover — the original covers about the top ⅓ of the ring. Just leave enough room for a towel to hang on the loop. Cut a section of the pool noodle to that length using a serrated knife. Since you only need a small section of the foam, you could still transform the remaining Dollar Tree pool noodles into chic decor to avoid any waste.

Cut a slit down the pool noodle lengthwise, so it'll fit over the metal. Position it over the towel ring. If it feels like it might slip off, wrap some tape or floral wire around it to secure it. Then, push faux flowers and greenery into the foam noodle until it's covered completely. Adding a drop of hot glue on each flower stem helps it stick. A small flower, like baby's breath, works well to cover the gaps. Or, add ribbon or beaded strands as a filler. Make sure you hide the ends of the noodle with the flowers.

While the original focuses on a round towel ring, you could use this decoration idea on a longer towel bar. Cut shorter sections to slip on part of the bar — a section on each end and a divider in the middle to keep the towels separate, for example. You can also use the idea on a thin, metal arm on a vanity light, as long as you keep any flammable materials away from the warm bulbs. If you don't have any existing surfaces that will work, use the same idea on a large metal ring wreath to create custom bathroom wall decor.