Light Up Your Swimming Pool At Night With An Inexpensive Pool Noodle DIY
Whether you're planning on hosting an evening pool party or simply love the idea of a magical night swim in your pool, floating tea lights make for an exceptionally beautiful display. The great thing is, with a pool noodle and some waterproof solar tea lights, this is one seriously easy and inexpensive DIY hack.
To create your own floating tea lights, all you need is a hollow pool noodle sliced into 2-inch rounds, and as many solar-powered, waterproof tea lights as you'd like. Depending on the pool noodle you're using, you may also need to use a knife to make the hole big enough to accommodate each tea light, but that's it. Simply measure the light against the hollow section of the pool noodle, cut where necessary, and slide the light right into the open space.
Of course, that means this swimming pool DIY is a cost-effective one, too. A set of three hollow pool noodles costs under $3.50 at Walmart, while a pack of six waterproof solar tea lights will set you back under $16.99 on Amazon. Yup, despite making for dazzling night-time dips, this can be done for just over $20. Well, that's unless you plan on making more than six of these gorgeous pool lights — we certainly wouldn't blame you!
Solar lights are ideal for this DIY, but there are some exceptions
Strictly speaking, any kind of waterproof tealight could work for this genius pool noodle hack. However, going solar will mean you don't even need to think about recharging the lights. Simply leave them out in the sun, and they will recharge on their own.
That said, there are a few things to keep in mind. For starters, even if your tea lights are supposed to be waterproof, it's always worthwhile double checking if that means they can be left to soak in water. Often, that's not the case — but that doesn't mean you have to skip this hack. Simply tape some plastic wrap to the bottom of your light, then slide it into the sliced noodle round. That should protect it from actually soaking in the water.
Another thing worth taking into account is that solar lights often don't work if they're too close to other lights. If your pool area and patio are already well-lit for the summer, it may be wiser to use non-solar-powered tealights from the start. Be sure to use the plastic wrap on these, too, so you can switch them off before bed each night and preserve their batteries.
The color of your pool noodle can make a big difference
Solar vs battery-operated tealights debate aside, another thing to consider is the color of the pool noodle you use. Essentially, your tealight will be illuminating the pool noodle it's placed inside of, so whatever color your noodle is, it's likely that's what you'll see.
The fun thing about this is, you can customize your DIY project according to your preferences. For starters, you could turn your pool into a Barbie-themed oasis for the summer by opting for a pink pool noodle. You could also make the most of Pride Month with a full rainbow of floating tea lights. Of course, if you aren't hosting anything and simply like the idea of a beautifully lit-up pool, you could also just opt for your favorite colors, or go for something that works with the rest of your home's decor. Not a fan of colorful lights on your pool? To mimic the idea of real tea lights floating across the water, reach for a yellow or white pool noodle.
However you decide to put this DIY hack to work in your own swimming pool, it's sure to impress guests and become your favorite feature for the summer. Best of all, it won't take much time, or break the bank.