The Viral Pool Noodle Hack That Boosts Tall Planters

When you're in the mood to spruce up your outdoor living space, adding greenery with large decorative planters can help bring natural beauty and dimension directly to your porch or deck. However, because tall planters require you to fill quite a lot of empty space, you may be thinking of ways to fill the gap that won't have you wasting money on extra potting soil or gravel. Luckily, foam pool noodles can be used to do just this at a fraction of the cost of other methods.

A TikTok post shared by @lifeon_deerdrive shows just how simple it is to use a budget-friendly pool noodle to close in that negative space in your tall outdoor planters. First, you'll need a pot that will fit comfortably within the larger planter that you wish to showcase. Next, place a few bricks at the bottom of the planter to make a flat base that won't obstruct the drainage hole. Finally, it's time to unleash the noodles!

For this hack to work, take a long foam pool noodle and twist it around the inside of the planter to fill in the empty space. Finally, place the flowerpot of your choosing right on top so its base fits neatly into the middle of the coiled pool noodles. This allows your plants to remain at the surface of the planter and nestled within the pool noodles, which will keep them centered and secure.

While this hack ensures you're not wasting money on soil, it's also great for keeping the planter light for easy mobility. Additionally, the foam pool noodles allow water to pass through to be drained, which is convenient when watering your plants, and on rainy days when the planter is left outside. Of course, you will still want to ensure the small pot and the larger planter feature drainage holes to keep your greenery happy.

Pool noodles can come in handy for planters of all sizes. If you have a smaller planter but don't want to use an excess of soil, follow the hack posted by @pennyjo8 on TikTok. In this video, she cuts one pool noodle into pieces and stands them up along the bottom of a metal planter. A bag of potting soil is then cut open and dispersed around the noodles just enough to cover them up. Finally, an array of lovely green plants are placed in the soil, resulting in a gorgeous display that uses way less soil than a conventional planter setup.

Pool noodles can also be used to make your own DIY spiral topiary. According to a helpful video by Glue Guns & Roses, this can be done with materials purchased at your local discount store, including pool noodles, hot glue, fake moss, a broom handle, duct tape, and a planter of your choice. However, if you don't have a green thumb or a love for DIY projects, pool noodles can provide a simple base for displaying your faux plants for a stunning arrangement. The foamy texture can be easily cut to shape and is perfectly suited for sticking plastic plants into.