Turn Pool Noodles Into A Fun Floating Cooler That's Perfect For Hot Summer Days

Drinks sitting on the edge of the pool can be easily knocked over, and if you're swimming all day, it can be frustrating to constantly have to get out to grab a drink. If you want a way to keep your drinks cold and within reach while relaxing in the water, you should be using this genius pool noodle hack in your backyard. With just a few pool noodles, some rope, and a cooler or small plastic bin, you can craft a floating cooler to make enjoying your backyard a bit easier.

This project is really customizable, as you could use a bin, a flexible insulated cooler, or a hard-sided cooler, depending on what you have on hand already or your budget. With hard-sided coolers, you can even decorate the lid on top, such as making it shark themed, and it may be able to fit more beverages and ice inside. If you go with the bin option, there are a few ways to connect your noodles, but bins with lids would help protect your drinks from the sun's heat. Depending on how you design your floating cooler, you may need zip ties or bungee cords as well. You can find pool noodles at Dollar Tree for $1.25 each, making this hack rather inexpensive.

The simplest option for this DIY is to simply use your pool noodle, a rectangular plastic bin (with or without a lid), and some rope ($1.25 for 50 feet at Dollar Tree). Measure the sides of your container, and cut your pool noodle to the same lengths. While you can simply slice the noodle, cutting the pieces at an angle will allow you to fit them together without gaps. If your bin doesn't have a lid, you can skip the rope. Simply make a cut along the side of each noodle so that it can slightly open. Now, slip these pieces over the edges of your container, and your floating cooler is ready to use.

For a container with a lid, the noodles will need to wrap around it. String your rope through the center of the foam pieces, adjust them around the cooler, and tie the ends of the rope tightly. This method also works with soft, insulated coolers; however, if you're worried the noodles might slip away, you can use more rope. Tie another section of rope to your flotation device, wind it around the bottom of your bin or cooler to secure it, and tie it off on the opposite side. With this hack, you can use a pool noodle as a drink float and keep all your beverages in the pool and ready to go.

Deeper containers and hard-sided coolers may require more support to float evenly. To do this, you can craft a second pool noodle flotation device that's the same as your first. For an even tighter support, use bungee cords with one hook cut off rather than rope. After you've strung the pool noodles onto the cord, tie the cut end of the cord to the hook. Once both DIY floaters are wrapped around your cooler, interlock zip ties to attach these to each other and to the cooler's plastic handle. This will ensure you have enough foam to hold up heavier coolers or larger bins and it won't be able to slip off.

For a more unique take on this DIY, you can decorate your cooler. Simply painting the lid is an option, but making your floating cooler look like a shark, as HGTV Handmade did, adds even more fun to this project. Cut out a piece of scrap foam to be shaped like a fin, and hot-glue it to the center of the cooler's lid. Now, apply plastic spray paint to paint the lid and fin gray, and let it dry. If the base of your cooler isn't already blue, you can paint it as well before attaching your blue floaties. With these pool noodle ideas, you'll stay cool this summer and have your drinks easily accessible while swimming.