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Create A Tropical Backyard Oasis With This
Crafty Pool Noodle Hack
By CHRISTY RAE AMMONS
Whether you’re throwing a tropical-themed party or simply decorating for summer, you can use a few pool noodles and some paint to create bamboo sticks for your outdoor space.
Start by gathering as many pool noodles as you want for your dried bamboo. Then, use a box cutter to make evenly spaced cuts around your noodles where you want the joints to be.
Use a heat gun or blow dryer to carefully melt these areas, warping the shape of the noodle. It should become thinner around the scoring, creating the joints.
You may also apply heat to the rest of the noodle to make the foam skinnier in some spots or knobbier around the joints to more closely mimic real bamboo.
Apply dark brown paint into and around the joints and on the ends of your bamboo sticks. With a tan or dark yellow color, lightly go over the entire noodle except the ends.
Another way to do this project without heat is to paint a green noodle with a darker green paint. Apply a line of paint several inches from the top with a sponge brush.
Push the paint upwards toward the top around the entire noodle. Make another paint line approximately ½ inch below your first line, and fan the paint out in the other direction.
Repeat this process, making evenly spaced joints throughout your noodle. You can apply more paint streaks to the noodle to give your project more texture.