DIY Hay-Bale Swimming Pools — An Innovative Hack For Summer

Jul 12, 2021

Have you ever heard of a pool made out of hay bales? If you’re unable to purchase a pool or find someone to help you set up your pool, then this do-it-yourself hack is the perfect solution. With the freedom to make the pool as big or small as you’d like, and the luxury of picking out the materials you use, this is a great project for anyone looking to add some fun to their summer. 

Mark, a father, decided to set up his very own pool made out of hay bales for his children to have fun in during the hot summer months. Since no one was able to help set up a professionally installed pool, Mark took matters into his own hands and made one himself. The hay bales surprisingly worked incredibly well as the walls, and with a few extra materials, an entire swimming pool was fully constructed. Although it took some time and a lot of manual labor, the kids really enjoyed getting to swim in their own backyard. 

In a video uploaded to YouTube, Mark described what it was like setting up the swimming pool and showed just how much fun the children had. There are a few costs that come along with DIY projects, but you have the liberty to make the pool as extravagant as you like and as your budget allows. Since it’s not the most traditional pool, there were a few hiccups here and there, but overall this hack worked wonders and is exactly what any parent looking for an inexpensive home project should try out.

In his video, Mark explained how he collected round hay bales that were five feet tall and four feet wide. Since he couldn’t find any square bales of this diameter, he opted to use the round ones, and tied them together with a thick black tarp spread across the top.

A pro of having a pool made out of hay bales was that the strength of the bales helped keep everything together, but the bales were still very soft, so if someone bumped into them then they wouldn’t really get hurt. Another great part about the homemade pool is that it gave the children somewhere new to play and kept them busy during the summer.

There were a few cons when it came to constructing a pool made out of hay bales and tarp. Getting a cut anywhere in the structure could be detrimental. It was also a bit harder to make the shape a nice rectangle since Mark couldn’t find any square bales that were big enough for his project. Also, the black tarp that was used was incredibly hot to the touch, but at least it kept the water nice and warm!

According to the video’s description, the materials for the project cost about $1,075. On top of that, it only took one day to build the pool. Mark said that the most complicated aspect was struggling with the water pump, as it first pumped out dirty, cold water, but he ultimately got everything to work. “I was told the bigger the pump the better,” he explained. Mark also hoped the pool would survive the summer so he could make it even bigger and better the next year.

What do you think about this DIY hay bale pool? Let us know, and be sure to send this along to your friends and family, too!