How To Use Pool Noodles & Paper Bags To Make The Sweetest Rustic Pumpkin Decor

You see a pool noodle, a crafter sees opportunity. While most assume the swim accessory is reserved for seasonal use, it actually has plenty of potential beyond the summer months — but not in the ways you'd expect. Rather than shell out the big bucks on decorative accents, you can create gorgeous fall decor with the help of these floating devices. YouTube crafter Patti J. Good provides a great example by using a pool noodle and brown paper craft bags to create small decorative pumpkins with a charming rustic flair.

If your gourds are leaning more towards creepy than cute, this is the perfect budget-friendly task to usher you out of spooky season and into Thanksgiving DIY decor projects. It's not only simple and quick, but it adds a farmhouse touch that's highly sought after. And there's a good chance you don't even need to go to the store to gather the supplies. For this sweet DIY autumn accent, you'll need a pool noodle, a wine cork, a faux leaf, a standard brown paper bag (the creator's measures 5 ⅛ inches wide by 9 ½ inches tall), and crafting wire. To piece it all together, keep a knife, miter shears, a ruler, glue gun, and dowel on hand. Once you have a completed collection, spruce up your decor by using these charming rustic pumpkins as part of your table centerpieces, shelf accents, outdoor porch displays, or seasonal place settings.

While you can whip up pumpkin decor a hundred-plus different ways — ranging from using old socks to make pumpkins to adding doilies to foam pumpkins for a grandma-chic touch — one of the easiest ways to achieve a playful farmhouse aesthetic is through this creator's straightforward steps. Start by cutting your pool noodle into 2-inch sections, using a knife and ruler to keep the pieces straight. Use your shears to cut your cork into three pieces, though you don't need precision for this part. If you don't have shears, corks are easy to cut with a knife if you soften them in boiling water for a few minutes. 

Next, open up the bottom of the bag, lay the bag flat, and cut off the rough bottom edge. Cut the bag in half so you have two matching paper tubes. Crumple one of the pieces thoroughly, and fold it accordion-style from side to side to get a textured and pumpkin-like ribbed look.

For the final touches, wrap the crumpled paper around the pool noodle, tucking the top and bottom edges of the bag into each hole and gluing the wine cork piece like a plug in the bottom of the noodle. Glue the faux greenery alongside the main stem and the craft wire that you spun around the dowel to create a spiraling tendril. To kick the final design up a notch, lightly brush white, brown, or warm colors across the surface. Once the craft is finished, make sure to take the farmhouse look a step further by placing your pumpkins alongside natural greenery, wooden accents, and warm, cozy colors by way of blankets, throws, and tablecloths.