Turn Wicker Baskets Into A Charming Rustic Arch With A Clever Pool Noodle Hack

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It isn't your imagination. There is a reason why you feel so good in spaces that feature arches. To humans, those flowing lines denote calm, safety, and comfort, and when they're coupled with rustic design style accents, solace increases. This makes an argument for inserting arches into every room, despite the architectural incompatibility that could arise between the competing construction styles. However, as TikToker @sage_and_second revealed, building an arch out of pool noodles and adorning it with wicker baskets not only creates an arch, but the decorating hack does so without requiring major construction.

The pool noodle in this DIY stretches from the floor up to the ceiling and curves at the very top to make an arch shape. Many of these flotation devices are around 4 feet to 5 feet long each, which means you'll need two or three of them to make the full floor-to-ceiling display. As for the wicker baskets, look for an assortment of them -– different shapes, a variety of sizes, and complex and simple weaves. The differences in texture create depth and visual tension, and layering them together augments the effects of this design principle and is a good place to start when you're designing a rustic home.

Adding greenery, like silk ferns, gives the decorative accent some color in a palette that complements a rustic home decor style. Zip ties, an industrial staple gun or tacks, ceiling hooks, possibly a glue gun, and floral wire are the final pieces you need to complete this DIY.

Since the pool noodles are the backbone of this operation, they need to be fastened to the wall before you do anything else. You can accomplish this by wrapping zip ties around the foam noodles at various points, and then use either hooks, tacks, or staples to attach them to the wall and ceiling. Although you could hang the foam support up on any spot on the wall and ceiling, positioning it in the corner gives you a way to fill up what is often otherwise dead decorating space. 

Once you're satisfied with the structure of the foam noodle spine, it's time to treat the baskets. The secondhand ones you nabbed from thrift stores and yard sales need some cleaning. A thorough vacuuming with a small brush attachment removes dust and cobwebs from the baskets' nooks and crannies. Follow this with a scrub in warm, soapy water. Use a soft-bristled brush to rid the wicker of grime in the crevices and elsewhere.

Finally, set up a spot out in the sun for your wicker pieces to dry out. Or, if the weather's not conducive to that, place towels down on the floor or on a table in a well-ventilated room, and lay the baskets on the fabric to air out. The wicker should be completely dry before you attach it to the pool noodles. Otherwise, you may deal with mold and mildew issues down the road.

Use zip ties to affix the baskets and make this pool noodle hack work. Wrap a tie around a basket's handle or weave it through the slats in the wicker. Next, attach the zip-tied basket to the foam supports. When you run out of room for the baskets on the pool noodles, hook some of the smaller baskets to the sides or handles of the larger ones to give yourself some additional hanging options.

Decorative greenery and other rustic-themed objects can be fastened to the pool noodles and the baskets, with the help of zip ties, floral wire, or glue. When you're choosing decorative objects to adorn the wicker with, keep the rustic decor motif in mind. Solid choices include burlap ribbon tied in bows, decorative fruits and vegetables (if the display is in the kitchen), and items from nature. Think pine cones, acorn clusters, and Glicrili Dried Natural Brown Cattails, and you're on the right track. It would also look pretty if you line some of the baskets with fabrics that are associated with this style of decor, like plaid cloth, or even something like a red bandana. These touches add pops of color to the display. 

Finally, a couple of rustic signs made of distressed wood or metal hung on several points of the arch create small focal points in your arrangement (through the principle of contrast), and give the eye an additional reason to scan the arch from top to bottom.