Who needs Rudolph when you can deck your door with a budget-friendly Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer wreath made from thrifted and dollar store finds?

This budget-friendly project is brimming with charm and crafted from one surprising item –  an upcycled pool noodle! Along with some yarn, second hand antlers and a good dose of creativity, it’s not just festive—it’s proof that holiday decorating doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. So, whether you’re looking to save money or simply have a laugh at how a pool noodle turned into your favorite Christmas decoration, this project is here to ‘sleigh’!

Grab your dollar store crafting stash and let’s turn up the holiday cheer—reindeer style!

Do It Over Designers

The Do It Over Designers blog Hop is hosted by Ann at The Apple Street Cottage. We’re a group of bloggers who take something old and/or unused and ‘do it over’ into something new. These items can be found in closets, barns, garages, yard sales, thrift stores, you name it!

Check out the other blogger’s projects; there’s a list of links at the bottom of this post right below the pinnable image. And be sure to drop back in throughout the week to visit them all!

Watch This Video!

Pool Noodle Wreath DIY Materials

[If you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered (disclosure): The blue links in this post may be affiliate links. We earn a commission from qualifying purchases which we proudly donate to Alzheimer’s research. But don’t worry, you don’t pay a cent more! Thanks for helping to support our fundraiser!]

• Pool noodle
• Faux fur yarn (2 skeins)
• Dowel (optional)
• Red ornament or thrifted finial/round knob (ours had wire, but you could also sew on an ornament that has a hanger using the hanging loop)
• Faux antlers (ours have picks which help to hold them to the pool noodle)
• Gold spray paint (if you can’t find gold antlers and want them gold like ours)
• GUM Floss threaders (to sew in the ends)
• Twine (to hold the antlers as they dry)
• Urethane glue
• Popsicle stick (for spreading the glue)

The pool noodle we’re using has been rolling around in the trunk of Hub’s car, where it served as cushioning for the sewing machines he picks up for his sewing repair hobby. Repurpose one you already have or check around; I have seen Christmas pool noodles in red and green.

While I was initially going to knit the tube on circular knitting needles, I opted for an oversize crochet hook when the needles weren’t small enough.

Reindeer Wreath Pattern

Terminology

• sc – single crochet
• mc – magic circle
• FO – fasten off

Note that this is a bit of trial and error depending on the circumference of your pool noodle wreath and weight of yarn. Start with a magic circle (mc).  I ended up with 9 sc.

Fit it onto the pool noodle before you get too far. If it’s too loose (or tight), frog it and start again.

You won’t be able to ‘see’ where to insert your single crochet because the fur hides it well. Just go by feel, and poke your finger around until you find the next stitch. It’s very easy once you get going.

Now, it’s just a matter of crocheting until you have a long enough tube to cover the length of your pool noodle.

How to Make a Pool Noodle Wreath

Notice that the pool noodle is hollow? This is optional, but we cut a piece of dowel to bridge the two sides.

Hubs cut a 4″ piece of dowel using his workbench and a handsaw.

You might not realize it, but your workbench likely has a groove made just for holding cylindrical objects like a dowel! Easy peasy!

The dowel should fit tight into the hole in the pool noodle; ours is 7/8″ wide. We’ll be using duct tape to seal the gap.

Test the fit by inserting half of one end of the dowel into the pool noodle. Then insert the other half. Depending on the length you start with, you’ll likely end up with a pool noodle wreath that is 16″ wide; perfect for hanging on a door or over the mantle with your other Christmas decor.

You might be able to get away with using one skein of yarn, but we don’t recommend that. You’ll have to stretch it too much. Since you’ll also be making some reindeer ears, it’s better to buy 2 skeins !

Tip: don’t fasten off the yarn until after you add the duct tape to bring together the pool noodle ends. That way, you can still add or subtract rounds as needed.

Once satisfied with the fit, fasten off leaving a long tail.

I used a GUM Floss threader to mattress stitch the opening closed (you can see it in the picture above).

Rudolph Nose

Our dollar store ornaments came with wire glued on. All we had to do was twist it onto a crochet stitch or two, wrap it a few times and hide the end by inserting it into the pool noodle.

Attaching the Antlers to the Reindeer Wreath

Now to give your reindeer wreath some antlers! I found the antler picks second-hand on Kijiji. Unfortunately I couldn’t tell by the picture that they weren’t mirror imaged – they are the same orientation. But thanks to my friend Terrie, I did exactly what she did and turned one of the antlers around. As you’ll see in the reveal, it’s a pretty good solution.

First cut down the pick so it won’t poke out the pool noodle when it’s inserted. Set aside the left pick over to test with your choice of glue.

We didn’t want to use hot glue because we didn’t want to deal with the potential mess on the faux fur.

We decided to try Urethane Glue. Urethane glue expands as it dries to fill slight gaps. Perfect for filling the air pockets in foam and also between the end of the antler pick and the pool noodle.

However, ALWAYS test out whatever glue you decide to use on a scrap of the materials you’re using. Because we shortened the antler pick, we have a sample to insert the metal into the foam and also test gluing the foam together.

Wear gloves when you do this. Spread glue onto the metal pick and insert into the pool noodle. Then glue together the pool noodle to see how will hold.

And set aside the reindeer wreath to dry for the recommended time.

Glue the Antlers

Our test worked! So we proceed to glue on the antlers.

First insert the antler pick into the pool noodle where you want it to create hole. Then, spread apart the fur so you have a clear gap. Leave as much space as you can.

Cut a length of twine to get it read to wrap around the antlers to hold them in place as they dry.

Now, pour some glue onto a plastic lid. Using a popsicle stick, spread the glue onto the antler pick and around the bottom where it will come into contact with the foam.

Insert the antlers into the pre-made hole in the pool noodle.

Finally, wrap the reindeer wreath with the twine and set it aside to dry for the recommended time.

Reindeer Ears

There’s one more step to embellish our Christmas wreath and that’s to add ears! But feel free to add whatever embellishments you desire 🙂

Reindeer wreath Ear Pattern

R1: Create a magic circle with 8 SC 

Rds 2-3: SC around (8 SC)

R4: SC in the first stitch, SC INC in the next, repeat around (12 SC)

R5: SC around (12 SC)

R6: SC in the first 2 sts, SC INC in the next, repeat around (16 SC)

Rds 7-9: SC around (16 SC)

Fold ear in half and SC across the top, then FO leaving a long tail for sewing. Stitch onto the wreath right beside the antlers and let them flop to the sides. But if you’d like them to stand upright, consider added wire or cardboard before you stitch them closed.

Feel Free to Hang your wreath with fishing line or ribbon.

Christmas Wreath DIY

Here’s the reindeer wreath hanging on our front door. I just love its understated elegance. You can go bigger with the red nose if you wish. I do think a bigger ornament would be more proportional. However, Rudolf has a tiny button of a nose, so it’s ok for now.

Speaking of reindeer, if you bake for the holidays, you’re not going to want to miss this reindeer ice cream sandwich recipe! It’s Santa approved too :).

Who knew a pool noodle could look THIS good?

If you’d like more Christmas craft and decor ideas, see Christmas Craft Ideas for Adults and don’t forget to head to the bottom of this post for the Do It Over Designer hop!

Pin Reindeer Wreath

Pinning is always welcome and appreciated!

Do it Over Designers

Now, our talented blogger friends have some amazing and inspiring DIYs for you! Don’t forget to visit these posts for more upcycled do-it-over transformations!

• Little Vintage Cottage
• Modern on Monticello
• Purple Hues & Me
• Sum of Their Stories
• Tea and Forget-Me-Nots
• Color Me Thrifty
• Vintage Style Gal
• The Apple Street Cottage
• Birdz of a Feather (that’s us!)
• Exquisitely Unremarkable