Using My Noodle(s)

Last week some of my thought processes were

along the lines of:

"I wish I had something tall to go on either side

of the picture on the mantle for summer."

and

" I wish I had a unique decorative item

 made out of pool noodles to enter into

Debbiedoos Pool Noodle Party."

Then the thought came into MY noodle (brain)

 to combine both of those needs

together and make mini-nautical log pilings

out of cut pool noodles to go on the beach-y mantle.

The Dollar Tree was my source for cheap noodles

and for wood-looking adhesive paper to cover them.

Six noodles and three rolls of adhesive covering were

used to make these faux pilings.

The noodles were surprizingly easy to cut even

with a kitchen bread knife.

The original plan was to group five lengths of noodles

into one piling bundle but it worked out that making

two groups of three noodles on each side was better.

Working on mantle item placement

For the size of adhesive covering that I had, it took

1/2 of the width to cover a noodle.

The wood-grain covering stuck on the noodle well and

will hopefully last through the summer but I'm not

optimistic about long-term viability.  The stick-ability

even survived me painting the covering with thinned

out neutral shades of paint to make it match my brick.

If you paint yours too, be sure to thin the paint enough

that the wood grain will still show through.

The tops of my pilings won't be visible to anyone unless

they are on a ladder but I experimented with cutting out

"knots" in the adhesive covering to cover up the noodle end.

Here I did a trial run with the logs to show what the

pilings would look like if you like the natural wood

look and not the painted version.

                      

Being bundled with rope made the noodles easy

 to stand up but if you are going to make these

 to be outside, be aware that they are very lightweight.

Except for the noodles that I tried covering the ends,

none of the others of mine are finished off  'cause

you and me are the only ones who will see the

green foam of the pool noodle from up here

 on a ladder taking photos for close-ups.

I am sharing this re-purposing of the pool noodles

over at Celebrating Everyday Life magazine 

submission blog party for the issue that comes 

out in early summer of 2013.