DIY The Sweetest Christmas Decor With This Lollipop Pool Noodle Hack

If your holiday decorating style is more "visions of sugarplums" than "jolly old elves," you might love this adorable lollipop design pool noodle hack. Even if you don't know what a sugarplum is, lots of holiday tales like "The Nutcracker," and Buddy the Elf's trek from the North Pole to New York feature lands of giant candy. Moreover, the odd '80s film "Santa Claus: The Movie" starring Dudley Moore and John Lithgow is about a rogue elf that makes big puce-colored lollipops to take over Santa's market share. So giant, striped, and sparkly lollipop décor definitely fits in with the holiday spirit.

Pool noodles are very inexpensive, and — even better — they're available at Dollar Tree. In fact, most of the materials you'll need for this DIY project can be found at Dollar Tree, save for a high-temperature glue gun. Discount and craft stores frequently have low-temperature glue guns on hand, but because of the intense adhesion required here, high temperature is required. Luckily, these are available at craft, hobby, and home improvement stores, such as this one from JOANN Fabric and Craft Stores. The remainder of your materials — solid color duct tape, a traditional toilet plunger with screw-off handle, large rubber bands, acrylic craft paint, clear cellophane gift wrap, and Christmas ribbon — can all be found in those Dollar Tree aisles or other discount stores. For added flair, consider picking up spray or confetti glitter as well.

Glue two pool noodles end-to-end, then reinforce with duct tape all around the seam. From that seam, wrap more tape diagonally outward toward each end, creating a candy-striped effect. Obviously, white duct tape on any color pool noodle will create a peppermint candy appearance, but any combination — green and red, for example — will look like a flavored candy cane lollipop.

Once the tape is wrapped around it, take the hot glue gun and very slowly apply the glue to the noodle as you roll it up onto itself, creating a circle. This is a painstaking process, so take your time with it. Rushing will only lead to the noodle slipping out of place. After you've coiled the entire noodle, wrap it with two large rubber bands and let it sit for 24 hours. While this is setting, prepare your stick.

Paint the plunger handle. It's easiest to keep it screwed in here, to reach all sides. Plain white paint is perfect, but again, choose whichever color you like. Even metallic or glittery paint works, or you can spray glitter on afterward. When dry, unscrew the handle and make a hole in the bottom of your pool noodle lollipop coil, big enough to tightly wedge in the threaded end of the handle. Again, you can spray glitter on the lollipop or throw some confetti glitter on it before wrapping it in cellophane and securing it with ribbon. These adorable statement pieces can be displayed outside or inside.