Creative Pool Noodle Hacks For Curtains That You'll Wish You Tried Sooner

You spend a ton of money on fancy grommet top drapes, thinking they'd look oh-so elegant hanging in your recently renovated living room. Unfortunately, however, the heavy rings tend to clump together, creating a disappointedly deflated vibe. Likewise, those pricey blackout curtains looked great online, but when you got them home and hung them in your bedroom, the gap between the railing and window let in too much light. What if you're desperate to decorate your window for a fast-approaching festive get together, but have just a few pennies left in the party budget? Thankfully, there are some viral curtain alternatives offering chic solutions that won't break the bank. In other words, all these problems and more can be fixed with one simple swimming accessory: one or more humble, cheap, and squishy pool noodles. These can be turned into tiebacks, beaded curtains, window shades, or festive valances, or used to block out light or fix sagging grommet top curtains.

For most of these ideas, you'll want to use pool noodles you already have or that you can get for cheap. After all, you don't want to spend a fortune on supplies for a "good-in-a-pinch" DIY project. The exception is the beaded curtains, which will become a feature in your home, and possibly the curtain tiebacks if you plan to keep them. Ask friends, family, or neighbors if they have any disused noodles or post a request in your local Buy Nothing group. You can also buy pool noodles affordably from local thrift stores, discount chain stores like Dollar Tree, big box retailers like Walmart, or shopping sites like Amazon.

Let the sun shine into your home with this unique curtain pool noodle hack. With just a pair of scissors or box cutter and maybe some pretty thread, you can transform a pool noodle into springy curtain tiebacks that will stay put no matter the fabric they're wrapped around. If it's a temporary thing, you can use any old pool noodle for this idea. If you hope to use this tieback for a long time, however, buy a new, thin, neutral-colored noodle. Walmart sells a pack of five black pool noodles — use one for this project and the rest for the other ideas in this article. You could also paint any noodle you already have.

The first method necessitates spiralizing your noodle. Find a cardboard tube that your noodle will fit inside — the tube inside a roll of packing tape works well. Thread it over just one end of the noodle and stick a relatively sharp knife into it, making sure it penetrates right through to the noodle's hollow center. Slowly turn the tube down the noodle to create a long spiral. Cut off sections measuring a couple of feet or so, bunch your curtains to the side, and snap the tieback around them. Option two involves cutting the noodle into short segments and stringing them together along a piece of sturdy thread or rope. Wrap the pool noodle necklace around a pulled back curtain, and tie a bow with the thread ends — or knot them, if you prefer something more permanent.

Blackout curtains resemble regular drapes, but they have a thick cotton or vinyl lining on the back designed to block and reflect light from entering your home. The point of buying blackout curtains is to make your room as dark as possible — they're a favorite of night shift workers and anyone who lives just shy of the Arctic Circle. They also have additional insulation and energy conservation benefits. Room darkening curtains are similar, but they block out a little less light than their heavy-set counterparts. Due to the hefty construction of blackout curtains, they're often the pricier option, so when they're not doing their job properly, it can leave you feeling like you've wasted your money.

If sunlight is leaking in from the sides of your curtains, try placing pool noodles in the gaps. Any color pool noodle would technically work, but jumbo black noodles would undoubtedly be best at creating the absence of light you crave. Run a knife or scissors lengthways up a hollow pool noodle. Wrap the noodle around your curtain rod, filling the gap between the rod and the window frame with foam. Repeat the process with as many pool noodles as you need. You could also wedge whole noodles between the sides of the curtains and the window frame. Secure all the pool noodles with tape, using something sturdy yet discreet and removable, like Scotch Contractor Grade Masking Tape. Want to stop light from peeking through regular curtains? This method works well, to varying degrees, on any set of curtains.

Grommet top curtains are notorious for losing their ample curves not long after you hang them up. One of the main benefits of grommets, that they slide frictionlessly along the curtain rod, is also their downfall. It's hard to keep pleats evenly spaced on slippery hardware. This is disappointing, to say the least, and it often feels like something you just have to live with. However, that's far from the case if you're even a little bit handy with a pair of scissors or a sharp knife, which you'll use to cut the pool noodle into small pieces. In fact, we tried the pool noodle hack for neat curtain pleats, and the results were Instagram-worthy! Plus, it took no more than 10 minutes.

The first step is to hunt around for a pool noodle that's as close to the color of either your curtains or your curtain rod as possible. If your curtain rod hangs low on the window, you may be able to see the noodles from behind the curtain. The sun can also shine through, creating a colorful — though not in a pretty rainbow kinda way — glow. Cut the noodle straight down the middle to create a closed C shape. Alternatively, you could buy the four-pack of Hanaive Jumbo Pool Noodles that are pre-cut down the side. Count the pleats in each curtain and measure the spaces between the grommets, and cut the pool noodle into however many sections you need. Slip the sections over the curtain rod inside each pleat. Pull your curtains back toward the finials and admire how perfectly plump your grommet top curtains look now.

Also try turning pool noodles into window coverings to dress up your space or add more privacy. This cute beaded curtain craft is worthy of a mid-century modern kitchen or a flower-forward Gen-Zers first studio apartment. For this idea, you'll need some cheerfully-hued pool noodles. Cut two or more noodles into 2-inch thick or so slices, and carve the edges into puffy daisy shapes with a serrated knife or a box cutter. Thread a large sewing needle with some sturdy fishing line, and run it through a large bead of your choice, knotting it on one end. Continue threading the line through one side and out the other of a daisy, so the flowers face forward. Repeat until you have a string of flowers and beads as long as the window you choose to hang it in. Make as many pool noodles daisy chains as you wish, and hang them from a curtain rod — either telescopic or fixed. You can add another at the bottom to keep your garland's straight if you wish.

You can also make window shades for small, awkwardly shaped (for example, curved) bedroom, bathroom, or RV windows from pool noodles. Measure your window to work out how many pool noodles you'll need to fit across it, and how long they need to be. Cut the pool noodle completely in half lengthways. Stick them to a flexible board — cardboard works, but plastic is better for longevity. Apply a spray adhesive to the noodles, stick them down, and cover them with a thick fabric such as felt. Squish them into the window frame for instant privacy.

Desperately trying to work out how to make your home appear more "holidays are here" on a budget? Try this pretty pool noodle hack to dress up your basic windows for less with a decorative valance. You'll need enough hollow pool noodles to cover a tension rod that spans the full width of your window, as well as some decor. Faux flowers are a popular choice, but anything mounted on flexible wire or with some kind of stem will work. For example, the 120-piece Fingertip WD Mixed Artificial Eucalyptus Stems and Faux Flowers set would be perfect for spring. Or, craft a winter window valance from the 16-piece Fessary Large Artificial Christmas Tree Picks with red berries and pinecones.

As with many of the other crafts listed, you need to slit your pool noodles lengthwise. Pop them over your tension rod and lay the entire thing down on a table. Add any decorations with short stems first; dab the end of the stem with hot glue and push them into the noodle. Continue until you can no longer see any foam. Take your wired items and wrap them around the adorned noodle until you have an arrangement you like. Since most decor items are made of lightweight materials like foam, plastic, or textiles, you don't really need to worry about weight. Once you're satisfied with the look of your creation, push the tension rod into the frame at the top of your window, hiding the tops of your curtains (or blinds) behind it. Let the festivities begin!