We Tried The Pool Noodle Hack For Neat Curtain Pleats And The Results Were Instagram-Worthy

Have you ever hung curtains on a window only to take a step back and think they looked a little lackluster? If so, you could test out a curtain-hanging hack that's been gaining fame on the Internet, and it just requires a pool noodle and a few tools. All you need to do is cut a pool noodle into small pieces, each with a slit down one side, then attach them to your curtain rod behind your drapery. This should fluff out the fabric and make it appear fuller. However, know that this will only work if your drapery is hung directly on the rod, like ones with round grommets, and not ones with hooks that leave a small space.

Our initial thoughts on this hack were that it seemed simple and easy to execute. However, at the same time, we doubted if this would be worth it since it may only make a minuscule impression. We were also concerned aboutlight-colored or sheer curtainsr, as we wondered if the pool noodle would show through the fabric and give the space a cheap look. In order to find out the truth about this hack, we knew we had to test it out for ourselves.

The only thing we needed to purchase for this hack was a pool noodle, which we purchased from Walmart for $3.48. We actually previously bought it for another pool noodle project, so it was already cut into a few pieces, which made it perfect to use for this curtain rod hack. We used a serrated knife to cut the pool noodle, but an X-acto knife or scissors could also work. When slicing, we protected our table with a cutting board, and to reach the curtains, we used a step stool, but some may need a taller ladder. 

We decided to try this hack on a dining room window with four beige curtain panels. The two on the exterior were our focus, as they had grommets, while the middle panels were scrunched up and couldn't fit pieces of a pool noodle behind them. To prepare to place the pool noodle pieces on the curtain rod, we pulled the fabric towards the middle of the window so that the grommets were well spaced out. 

We started by counting the amount of pool noodle pieces we would need by looking at the spaces between the curtain grommets and discovered that only six were required, or three on each panel. Next, we held a piece of the pool noodle up to the curtain and drew a line for the distance between two grommets, which marked where we needed to cut. Placing the pool noodle on the cutting board, we used our serrated knife to slice off a piece and then added a slit so that it could attach to the curtain rod. However, we discovered that our piece was too large, so we continued slicing off slivers until the piece was the right size to fit behind the curtain.

Once we had our size for reference, we moved on to cutting the other five pieces. To do this, we placed the already finished piece up to the other scraps of the pool noodle and drew a line for where we needed to cut. Then, using the step ladder, we attached all of the pieces to the curtain rod in the spaces between the grommets where the fabric covered the foam. The whole process took us less than 10 minutes, and we only needed about half of the pool noodle.

As you can see in these before (left) and after (right) images, this hack does make a difference, even if it's not monumental. It's clear that the pool noodles fluffed and filled the fabric, which is exactly what the hack was supposed to do. If you're a stickler for tiny details, this may be worth it to you. Further, while we were worried about the pool noodle showing through the curtain fabric, this wasn't the case for us. However, this may be an issue if you're working with sheer material.

There is one negative side effect that we didn't anticipate: you can see the pool noodle when facing the curtain at certain angles, like from off to the left or the right side. Further, because our curtain rod is hung directly in front of the window, the sunlight casts a blue glow onto the metal of the grommets, drawing attention to the hack. To avoid both these problems, you could use a white pool noodle, which wouldn't draw attention. If the sunlight's glow is the only issue, another solution is to hang your curtain rod above the window instead of directly in front of it.