Pool Noodles are the secret to making palm trees. I taped two pool noodles together end to end with duct tape. Then I spray painted them brown. Each tree took about 100 lunch size paper sacks. I cut the bottoms off of all of them and then smooshed them down together. I slid the bags onto the pool noodles until I had the whole thing covered. The bottom and top bag got taped onto the pool noodle with masking tape and kinda scrunched around to cover up the tape. After that I took them outside and sprayed a little brown paint on them to give them a bit of texture.
The palm leaves required 24 inch florist wire, hot glue and tissue paper. I cut the paper in half and laid the two rectangles end to end overlapping a little bit. Then I ran a generous bead of hot glue down the length of the paper starting about an inch from the end and embedded the wire in it. It took two pieces of wire for each one that overlapped in the middle and stuck out a few inches on one end. Then I glued the other piece of tissue on top over the same glue line. Next, I fringed the sides of the palm fronds.
I used fishing twine in the top of the pool noodle to hang them from the drop ceiling. Then I jammed the wires into the hole in the end of the pool noodle and used more fishing line to position the fronds.
Thank you for the great idea...those pool noodles are the bomb!
ReplyDeletetotally stealing this. thank you very much.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter wants a Luau party and i was looking for an idea to do the palm trees. This idea is great. I am stealing it :):). Thank you so much for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you can use the idea. Hope she has a great party!
DeleteThat is a GREAT idea!! I think I saw some pool noodles at the dollar store. Yay!
ReplyDeleteTerri Izatt
KinderKapers
I love this idea! Can you tell me how you did the waterfall too?
ReplyDeleteSince you covered the pool noodles with the bags, is it necessary to spray paint the noodles beforehand? Does any of the noodle show thru? And about how many fronds did you use per tree? Would using posterboard work, maybe layered with tissue paper, just to give the leaves a little more stiffness so they wouldn't have to be attached to the ceiling? Just wondering, because the trees look AMAZING but I am also LAZY and detest spray-painting. I know it's been a while since you originally posted this, but if you wouldn't mind answering my questions, I'd really appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteI skipped the spray paint & just put the bags over the noodle. You couldn't see through & they look awesome! I'm working on the fronds now :)
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