This Genius Way To Upcycle Pool Noodles Is Perfect For Plant Parents

If there's one thing we can't say no to, it's more plants. It can be hard to resist adding even more beautiful greenery to your home, but sometimes the plants you want just don't fit the planters you already own. Instead of filling your planter with a ton of soil to make up for the extra space, TikTok user @kellybazzle showed us an easy (and inexpensive) alternative to stocking up on potting soil.

In the viral video, they use pool noodles from the Dollar Tree to fill the bottom of their tall planter, but you may even have a few extras collecting dust in your garage. They add some sand to the bottom of the pot in order to weigh it down before stacking the pool noodles on top of each other to take up that extra space.

@kellybazzle/TikTok

The TikToker uses hanging plants in the video and ultimately cuts off the hooks, but you can really use any type of potted plant. You may just want to make sure that the plant is long enough to cover the sides of the pot so the styrofoam noodles aren't visible. Alternatively, you could measure and cut a piece of cardboard to sit on top of the pool noodles. Then, add some soil so you don't have to fill the entire planter.

But this isn't the only pool noodle hack when it comes to plants. Instead of stacking pool noodles in their pot, TikToker @mama.jmarie cuts the styrofoam into smaller chucks and fills the planter that way. They then top the rest with potting soil.

@mama.jmarie/TikTok

If you needed another reason to try out this hack for yourself, using pool noodles also provides drainage for your plants. Similar to how you may use rocks at the bottom of the pot to help the water move away from the roots more efficiently, the styrofoam will produce an identical buffer.

For other DIY projects you can tackle with pool noodles, we have plenty more up our sleeve: