Making a Hula Hoop

When making a hula hoop, you will need to following: irrigation tubing; I prefer 1 inch 100psi tubing. This can be purchased at home improvement stores such as Lowe's and Home Depot. Measure the tubing by standing and making a circle that is about the height of your belly button or a little above. The hoops I make are usually about four and a half feet in diameter. Once you have measured your tubing, cut it using a small hand saw or pipe cutter. The pipe cutter will give it a smoother, straighter edge to work with and can be purchased for under $15.00 at Lowe's. The next step is to insert a 1 inch connector into the end of the tube. The connectors can be found in the same aisle as the tubing. To insert the connector with the least amount of effort, I place the end of the tubing into a pan of rapidly boiling water for about 45 seconds. This will soften the tubing and make the connector slide in easily. Once the connector is in place, dip the other end of the tubing into the boiling water and slide it onto the connector. I usually put a few bb's or some rice into my hoop so I can have that "Swish" sound. Once the hoop is together and is cool, wrap the hoop at the joint with duct tape. I use black duct tape because the tubing is black.

Now it's time to decorate! Before taping the hoop, it's best to wipe it down with alcohol just because the tape will stick better. Once it is wiped down, start wrapping the hoop with vinyl tape. This is basically electrical tape. I get different colors of tape and I have found that Home Depot has a better selection than Lowe's for colored tape. Wrap the tape around the hoop carefully so it won't wrinkle. Once you have the hoop wrapped, you can wrap it in the opposite direction with a contrasting color. You can be as elaborate as you want. Just remember that in time, the tape will start to chip away.

It really is easy and fun to make your own hoop and even more fun to use them! I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial on how to make your hoop.