Hang A Flashlight Overhead Using This Simple Pool Noodle Hack

The house you just moved into has an incredible patio. There's just one problem. The light fixture in the awning isn't working. The sun sets and you have to head back inside. And that's far from ideal during balmy summer evenings when all you want to do is throw a steak on the grill or read that novel you just haven't had time to get to yet, chilled tipple of choice in hand. The answer to this conundrum is a pool noodle, a flashlight, and barely any DIY skills at all. Cut the pool noodle to create a vertical spiral, pull on either end to open said spiral, wedge in a torch, and hang it from the rafters for a makeshift — but, arguably, still pretty cute, lantern.

This brilliant way your flashlight uses the help of a pool noodle is perfect for those situations where you need an outdoor or indoor light in a pinch. Weather-related power outages are increasingly common across the U.S. so use this hanging torch for much-needed overhead lighting in the kitchen or living room during such an event. No more cooking dinner or playing Uno with the family in the dark! It's also great when you need a pinpointed task light — hang it from in-floor joists to illuminate a dark basement or from the shelves in your craft corner. You can even hang a pool noodle torch from the branches of trees in your backyard to extend playtime into the evening or take one camping.

Don't have a recently retired pool noodle and compact flashlight on hand? You'll have to head to the store. Thankfully, basic pool noodles are available from all over the place for just a few dollars. Dollar Tree sells 54-inch foam pool noodles in various bright hues for $1.25 each. Walmart has a two-pack of equally rainbow hued 59-inch pool noodles for under $10. Whenever you get your noodles, make sure they're of the hollow variety.

If you get your noodles from Dollar Tree, add one of their plastic LED flashlights to your cart as well. This basic option is the perfect lighting for your space — so long as that space is small. If you want to upgrade your illumination just a little bit, head to Lowe's to buy an Energizer 1000-lumen 3-modes LED flashlight for under $30. Looking for an investment option? The ML300L 4D LED flashlight by Maglite will set you back around $80, but it's waterproof, so won't get ruined if you accidentally leave it outside after a party. To complete this DIY, you're going to need to uniformly spiralize your noodle using a handmade tool. Purchase either moldable thermoplastic — a 6-ounce bag of InstaMorph polymorph pellets is under $15 on Amazon — or air dry clay — Hobby Lobby sells packs of DAS air dry modeling clay for around $8. You'll also need a box cutter you don't mind sacrificing to this tool.

Cut your pool noodle to your desired length. Activate the moldable plastic or air dry clay according to the package instructions and mold it into a tight ring around one end of the noodle. Insert the utility knife into the ring horizontally at about a 45 degree angle; the knife blade should extend into the hollow center. Let the ring harden, again, according to the manufacturer's instructions. To cut in a spiral, hold the ring and twist the pool noodle. The ring will gradually make its way along the length of the nood to the other end. Insert your flashlight into one end of the spiral, pulling it tight to secure the torch in place. Suspend the light upside down by hooking the non-flashlight side of the spiral over a rafter, hook, string, or other fixture of choice — similarly to how you would successfully suspend, say, plants from the ceiling.

Not interested in crafting the pool noodle spiralizer? Skip that step by simply cutting a hollow noodle down to the length you need and pushing a flashlight into one end. It won't be so easy to suspend, but you should be able to squish it into tight corners or rest it on countertops no problem. You could also cut a thin ring from a pool noodle, slit it on just one side, and sheathe your flashlight in it. Again, this can be crammed into a corner without risk of toppling.