Keep Your Drinks Cold This Summer With An Easy Pool Noodle Hack

Some parts of the United States are already hitting temperatures of 80 degrees Fahrenheit in April, so why not start the summer fun early? Break out the sunglasses and swimsuits because one of the best ways to enjoy the sun is a dip in the water with a drink in hand. While you can't always avoid getting sunburnt on these excursions, you can at least save your beverage from getting baked. The key is a long, floppy pool noodle.

You likely already know there are many uses for these ingenious inventions, including using a pool noodle segment to organize your drawers, but they're also perfect for keeping drinks cold. Pool noodles are made from polyethylene, an insulating material used to insulate pipes and make standard plastic coolers. By cutting up one of these handy flotation devices, you can make a floating cooler for the pool.

To make a floating cooler that costs under $5, you only need a pool noodle, rope, and a rectangular 6-quart plastic bin. Measure and cut the pool noodle to match the length of each side of the plastic bin. Next, string the rope through the holes in the noodle, creating a box shape to go around the container. Then, tightly tie each end of the rope together so the pool noodle raft clings to the plastic bin. Finally, fill it up with ice and some delicious canned cocktails with high-quality ingredients, and you've got yourself an affordable floating cooler made from items you might already have around the house.

If a floating pool noodle cooler doesn't fit your needs, you can also use a pool noodle to DIY insulated koozies to keep on hand all summer. To make an insulated pool noodle koozie, you'll essentially recreate a Pringles container shape using the noodle foam. 

The easiest way to do this is by chopping a pool noodle into a segment as big as your beverage can and hollowing out the center. You can use a box cutter to carve out the middle or take the approach of YouTuber Shake The Future and cut off the top of an old soda can to stamp through the foam with its sharp edges. Leave about a centimeter of space at the bottom to serve as a base where your drink will rest. Cut out an inch of space from the original noodle and repeat these steps to create the lid. The result should be a tube-shaped container and lid that can snugly hold your beverage can. 

For a quicker version of this hack, cut a piece of pool noodle the same size as your beverage can, hollow out the middle, and cut a slit down one side of the cylinder. Rather than working as a container, it works as a wrap-around sleeve. This method is suited for tossing your tallboys into a cooler (perhaps a DIY floating cooler), and you can sweeten the deal by burying frozen popsicles under the ice.