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Make Faux Birch Logs Using Pool Noodles

One of the highlights of my Michaels Makers Santa’s Cabin in the Woods Christmas Dream Tree were the faux birch logs. Real birch logs are so beautiful and bring a bit of the great outdoors into your cozy home. However, they can be hard to find or expensive. I also wanted to place some birch logs in the tree. And of course, the real logs would have been too heavy. This tutorial is a great alternative to keep your budget in tact and get creative in how you can repurpose items from around your house. Who knew you could make faux birch logs using pool noodles?! Some of our birch logs are made out of foam pipe insulation – much easier to get year round.

Make pool noodles into faux birch logs! Find the full tutorial at Designdazzle.com. #diyChristmasdecor #poolnoodlediy

 

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Birch Log Supplies

 

Make this into a faux birch log! Check out the full tutorial on designdazzle.com! #diychristmas #diypoolnoodle

Step 1: This first step depends on how long you want your birch logs. Since I’m using mine for Christmas decor and put them both into bundles and on my Christmas tree, I wanted mine to be about 2 feet tall. To get my birch logs to be about 2 feet each, I used scissors to cut the pool noodle in half equally. For the plumbing insulation foam tube, I cut it into thirds.

 

Supplies needed to make faux birch logs from pool noodles! Great Christmas decor. Check out the tutorial on Decigndazzle.com #diydecor #diychristmasdecor #diypoolnoodle

Step 2: This picture shows the foam plumbing insulation. We used both the pool noodles and this. First, wrap the craft paper around the pool noodle to measure how much paper you will need. Cut at the proper width, making sure that the whole noodle is covered. Rip the paper into strips horizontally. Crumple the strips into wads so that the paper will be wrinkled. Then, paint the pool noodle with the tacky glue. Arrange the paper on the noodle, covering the whole thing. It is okay to have lumps and wrinkles, they make it look more realistic!

 

Step-by-step tutorial of how to make pool noodles into faux birch logs on Designdazzle.com. #diyChristmasdecor #poolnoodlediy

This is what the birch logs should look like once the paper is all glued on and dried.

 

Step-by-step of how to make pool noodles into your favorite Christmas decor! Check it out at Designdazzle.com! #diyChristmasdecor #diypoolnoodle

Tip: In order to finish the edges, cover with paper and outline a circle. Cut the circle out and glue it on the same way that you glued on the rest of the paper.

 

Step-by-step of how to make pool noodles into your favorite Christmas decor! Check it out at Designdazzle.com! #diyChristmasdecor #diypoolnoodle

Step 3: Take a sheet of tissue paper and rip it into strips. Crumple the strips up and make them into little wads. Glue the wads on, place them spread out on the log.

 

Step-by-step of how to make pool noodles into your favorite Christmas decor! Check it out at Designdazzle.com! #

This is what the wads of tissue paper look like up close.

 

This was once a pool noodle! Tutorial of how to make a faux birch log from a pool noodle at Decigndazzle.com #diyChristmas #poolnoodledecor

Step 4: Paint the entire birch log with white craft paint, including the tissue paper wads. It is okay if the tissue paper wads do not get covered completely. Let it dry.

 

Step-by-step tutorial of how to make pool noodles into faux birch logs on Designdazzle.com. #diyChristmasdecor #poolnoodlediy

Step 5: Once the white paint has dried, make a grey wash by mixing grey craft paint and water. I used about a tablespoon of paint at a ratio of 1 part paint to 4 parts water. This combination may vary, just make sure that it isn’t too dark. Paint the entire log, including the tissue paper wads. *Save the remaining grey wash! You will use the rest later.

 

Step-by-step tutorial of how to make pool noodles into faux birch logs on Designdazzle.com. #diyChristmasdecor #poolnoodlediy

Step 6: Once the grey wash has dried, make a beige wash with the same ratio. Make sure that it is also not too dark. Add water if it seems too dark. Paint the entire log.

 

Step-by-step tutorial of how to make pool noodles into faux birch logs on Designdazzle.com. #diyChristmasdecor #poolnoodlediy

Step 7: After the beige wash has dried, use the remaining grey wash and add a few drops of black craft paint. You don’t want it to be too dark, but you do want it to be dark enough to show contrast. I added about 5 or 6 drops of paint. Paint stripes along the log to give it the birch wood effect.

 

Step-by-step tutorial of how to make pool noodles into faux birch logs on Designdazzle.com. #diyChristmasdecor #poolnoodlediy

Step 8: Using the dark wash, paint the tissue paper wads. They will absorb the moisture and crumple up, to create the knotted birch bark effect. You may have to do a few coats of this wash to get it dark enough.

 

Step-by-step tutorial of how to make pool noodles into faux birch logs on Designdazzle.com. #diyChristmasdecor #poolnoodlediy

Step 9: Once your birch logs are completely dry, paint glue on random spots on the log. Press buffalo snow onto these spots to give the logs more texture. If you are going to use spray snow to add more texture, do this before you put the buffalo snow on.

 

Step-by-step tutorial of how to make pool noodles into faux birch logs on Designdazzle.com. #diyChristmasdecor #poolnoodlediy

The great thing about this faux birch log technique is that it is very versatile! I did it on wooden dowels, as pictured above. I also made it on an 8 inch concrete tube form to put over my Christmas tree stand to look like the trunk of a tree, as shown in the first picture of this post.

I wanted to add extra height to my Christmas tree, so I attached a metal rod to the Christmas tree pole to extend it, and then put the faux birch log tube over the extension. However, because this was not the most sturdy extension, I also have a hook in my wall and wrapped wire around my Christmas tree to anchor it. I love how this turned out!

I am so excited to try this faux birch log look in many different ways!

Make pool noodles into faux birch logs! Find the full tutorial at Designdazzle.com. #diyChristmasdecor #poolnoodlediy

 This faux birch log look is so easy to achieve and a cheaper and more functional alternative to buying the real deal. I hope this fabulous tutorial will complete your holiday decor!

Make sure to check out…

 

Santa-Sack-slideshow

All 200+ of our Christmas ideas

 

The actual Santa’s Cabin In The Woods Tree

My Christmas Tree Decorating Tips & Hacks post

How to create Designer Ribbon Using a Glue Gun

And for those who want to make Elf Spaghetti

 

 

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    • Toni - Design Dazzle says

      Karen –
      So happy to help out! I had a a large site share this on their Facebook page. It was 99.999999999% positive – with a few people asking why?? People don’t understand that not everyone has access to these logs or they can be very expensive. I wanted to place them on my Christmas tree and the real thing is too heavy to do that with. Also, it was going to cost me $100 to buy just a few logs at the local craft store. So I decided to craft them instead.
      Have fun making them!

      Reply

  14. Lorey says

    I really like this idea! I just moved to FL from RI and I’m going to miss all things New England. This will help cut down on some of that homesickness for sure! I can see using this to cover a foam wreath as well. Great idea!

    Reply

  16. Billie Souto says

    I Have Been Lookin For The Directions For These Logs For So Long. Thank You So Very Much, I Love Them. The Log’s Look So Real.Thank You Again. Merry Christmas.

    Reply

    • Toni - Design Dazzle says

      Hi Susan,
      I just checked our subscribers list and it looks like you haven’t confirmed your email you received. Once you click on that link you will be directed to our free printables. Thanks.

      Reply

  18. Rhett says

    These are very realistic and really look nice with Christmas decor, you are very talented. I am going to try this soon

    Reply

  19. Jenna says

    I made these for a store window display! I kept the ends open, attached a dowel to a base and slid the noodle on to the dowel so they can stand up in the window! Now they look like real trees with the fake snow! Great idea! Thank you!

    Reply

  21. Kathryn A Wall says

    This is an oak wall-mounted paper towel holder I revamped into a jewelry organizer. I painted flowers on outside ends and stenciled “pretties” on top of back board. Added cup hooks on bottom edge and now have necklace and bracelet storage w/o tangles!

    Reply

  22. Meghan says

    This is what I was looking for. Thankyou! I have new furniture this year and I’m already trying to plan for Christmas. I am going to half to do the half tree thing on my Christmas tree to make it fit and I had the idea to cover the bottom exposed pole with pool noodles but was searching for an idea on how to best make it look like wood. YOU are a lifesaver!!!! Thankyou so much!!!!! Wonderful!!!

    Reply