My family loves pool noodles for swimming but they tend to wear out and crack with time. I’m sharing an easy cheap craft that reuses those worn out pool noodles.
Do you have noodles with bite marks and cracks in them at your house? Instead of tossing them out continue to use the noodles by making them into a DIY Pool Noodle Float Ring. After awhile they just wear out and start to fall apart, but often only some of the noodle wears out and the rest is still good. Cut up the good parts of the noodle and make a new fun float ring for the kids. Your kids will love it! These are unique and fun plus it’s always wonderful to reuse rather than throw away. (note: if noodles are too old, zip ties will rip right through the noodles so be sure to use noodles pieces that are still in good shape and not too old).
Or purchase new noodles to make this design. Thicker noodles, like the ones pictured below, do work better than the ones in the picture above.
This post is being shared as part of the festivities for the DIY DAY event with Craft Box Girls. I am a proud Ambassador.
At my house we had noodles where someone took out bites last year during swim time (I’m not pointing fingers, but a mom knows) or they simply wear out and crack with use like the ones pictured below. I dreamt up this DIY project with the intent to make something to enjoy that also reuses a swim toy that would have been thrown away in a landfill. My kids are chomping at the bit (but not on the new rafts!!) to use them in our pool but it’s still a bit cold here so they need to wait a month for the pool opening to try them out.
Make you don’t use pool noodles that are too old or the zip ties will rip right through as they are played with. New pool noodles will withstand playtime much better.
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The Supplies and Tools Needed
If you only need to buy the zip ties this project will only cost about $6.00 plus tax. The supplies and tools needed for this pool noodle project include the following items.
- pool noodles: the number of noodles required will depend on how much of the noodle is usable (or purchase new noodles if desired, larger new noodles do work best for this project) I used parts of three noodles to make 28 four inch noodle sections. Don’t use noodles that are too old as the zip tie will cut right through the noodle.
- 28 fourteen inch zip ties (outdoor ones are the best because they will last longer outside, however indoor ties work too). I needed two packs because the outdoor zip ties I found came in packs of twenty. They only cost $2.99 per pack at my local hardware store.
- scissors
- serrated knife
- tape measure
How to Make the DIY Pool Noodle Float Ring: Cut Sections
For the first step, you will need to cut the noodle in four inch sections. Use the tape measure to get them all about 4 inches long. It doesn’t need to be exact. Cut straight down the noodles using a serrated knife. I used old noodles for this float ring so I chose pieces of the noodles that were still intact and in good shape. Cut out twenty-eight 4 inch sections. You may use more or less depending on how many noodles you have to use. This step will only take you about five minutes or less to do. I was pleased with how little mess it made when I cut the noodles, I only had to sweep up a few crumbs.
Plan Your Pattern
Next you will place the noodles pieces in the pattern you desire. I tried to do every other color as best I could with the pieces I had to work with.
Next Zip Tie Sections Together
String the zip tie down through the first noodle hole with the smooth side of the zip tie to the left. Slip the tip of the zip tie up through the next noodle section to string them together. Bring the ends of the zip tie together and zip. Make it’s snug but not too tight to prevent the zip tie from gouging into the noodle. Cut off the excess piece of zip tie.
Next push down the zip tie clasp into the noodle hole to prevent it from scratching the person using the float ring.
Continue to string all pieces together until you have used all noodle sections. At this point you could decide if you’d like to keep it as a strip or if you would like to make it into a ring. I chose to make it into a ring. Simply slip a zip tie through the holes connecting the two ends to make a ring.
Enjoy!
Enjoy and make sure to only use float on the side where the zip tie clasps aren’t sticking up to avoid being scratched. tighten zip tie and push clasp down into hole if it migrates during use.
I hope your family enjoys your new water toy! This post was created as an adjunct to a Facebook Live post I hosted on April 2nd, 2017 as a part of National DIY DAY. In the Facebook Live video post I make this DIY Pool Noodle Float Ring using jumbo size pool noodles I purchased because I used all our old ones for this post;) Check out my DIY Pool Noodle Float Raft post for another fun idea using pool noodles.
Click my picture below to view my Facebook Live video 🙂
Larger, thicker noodles work the best for this project. Push zip tie clasp down into hole if it migrates and always float on a side where clasps aren’t present to avoid being scratched.
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