Transform Your Living Room For The Holidays With A Stunning Pool Noodle Hack

Who knew pool noodles were going to become the modern day sliced bread of society (aka the best invention since sliced bread)? They can do almost anything in or out of your home, including soundproof a room, serve as floating candles, hack your garden planters, and of course: make holiday decor that could easily be considered a dupe for any of the high-end home stores out there. While there are hundreds of crafts you can use pool noodles for, slicing it down the middle and using it as a base for mantle decor can help you easily recreate the festive garland designs you find in every holiday post, advertisement, and shopping aisle. All you need is a pool noodle, seasonal florals, an inexpensive garland, and any other winter-themed items you want to include, so you can turn your fireplace into the coziest, more cheerful space in your home.

You can use as many pool noodles as you want, and this will mainly depend on the length of your mantle. If you already have pre-hung hooks on the underside of your ledge, it might be easier to cut your noodles into sections so you can stick them on around these hooks. One of the best tools to use when cutting a pool noodle is a utility knife, especially if you're cutting vertically down the entire length of one side like you need to for this DIY. Starting from one end, make sure you slice all the way through just one side so it opens down the middle to slot onto your mantle edge.

You can either add your sections or place the entire length of the foam along the entire length of your mantle. It should easily clip on and remain in place. From here, you can get creative. Think of the pool noodle as flower foam, and use the stems of your faux florals and decor to stick them deep into the foam material. The key is to fill out all of the noodle, making sure to cover the top and bottom so none of the actual toy shows through the decor. Start with a base of pine garland pieces which you can cut up from a longer strand, or use larger flowers as the base layer. Build out around these with smaller blooms, leaves, and even holiday-themed elements like ornaments. Many of the best artificial garlands already have some accents, so you can work with those, too. 

If you want to add subtle scents to your room in a natural way, you could either add sprigs of rosemary or eucalyptus to the pool noodle — just make sure to change these out regularly or spray them to keep them fresh. Alternatives to this could incorporate essential oils, which you could dropper or spray onto the decoration to get a subtle scent boost in your space. Use dried fruits for a more vintage decor piece, or add more white florals for a neutral design that could last through the New Year. Additionally, twinkle lights could help bring more ambiance into the room and introduce a cozy vibe.