How to make giant pencils out of dollar store pool noodles!

Take some in-expensive, dollar store pool noodles and turn them into the cutest, most fun back-to-school prop EVER! These can be used as classroom decor, first day of school photo props or even just to have pencil sword fights with (ahem….my children)! With a few simple supplies, you’ll have a whole box of these pencils made in NO TIME! 🙂

SUPPLIES:

• Pool Noodles | 1 noodle for every 2 pencils
• Spray paint | I couldn’t find the “right” color yellow noodle, so I used Rustoleum “Marigold” color
• pink construction paper/card-stock
• grey construction paper/card-stock
• kraft construction paper
• a black sharpie
• hot glue gun

INSTRUCTIONS:

Paint Noodles
If you are painting your noodles, spray them in a well ventilated area. I sprayed the noodles about 4 times because I had to spray, let dry, turn, spray, let dry, turn, etc until full coated. Once they are fully coated, cut the noodles in 1/2 so that you get 2 pencils out of each noodle.

Cut Paper Pieces

• 2″ strip of the grey construction paper/card-stock
• * 4″ strip of the pink construction paper/card-stock
• * a cone shape out of the kraft construction paper (I used a full 8.5×11 and cut from one square edge all the way around so that I could roll/fold it easily). Also, color in a 1/2 moon shape of the tip with a sharpie for the graphite.

Add Paper Pieces + Embellish

• Begin by rolling your kraft colored paper into a pointed tube. I rolled it up and made sure that it would “fit” on top of the pencil without too much gaping between the pencil and top. Hot glue closed. Then take some scissors and cut triangles along the bottom of the pencil tip to make the “jagged” sharpening edges. Then hot glue the pencil tip to the top of the noodle.
• Begin by wrapping the 4″ strip of pink card-stock around the bottom of the noodle (my card-stock was hanging over the bottom edge a little to cover up the bottom of the unfinished noodle). Hot glue in place.
• **note about the hot glue on the noodle: if the hot glue is too hot, it will melt the noodle. So if you need to, place the glue on the paper, let cool off/dry for 10 seconds and then stick it on
• Next, wrap the 2″ grey card-stock onto the pencil, overlapping the pink eraser just a bit.