Make Your Own Hula Hoop

It's no secret I'm a hooper, meaning I do tricks with a hula hoop. Now, you don't need to be able to do fancy throws and twirls to hoop. Waist hooping is fun on its own and is great exercise! There are many places online you can purchase a hoop, and that's fine, but you can easily make your own and get a greater sense of accomplishment in return. The hoops from this how-to you are excellent for beginners. With the supplies you can purchase, you can make a few, so grab a friend and go halves on the supplies and hoop together.

All of the supplies here can be purchased at Home Depot or Lowe's. I have a few things that I found on Amazon below, too. Generally, if a hardware store has a good plumbing section, you'll find what you need. I usually write down a list of what I want and ask the store clerks to get it for me, rather than get lost in the store trying to find what I need.

Before you begin, here are a few notes:

• If you want a heavier hoop, use 160 psi tubing. For a lighter one, go with 100 psi tubing.
• Don't use duct tape to tape your hoop. Use electrical tape as it is more forgiving.
• If your coupling has a pointy barb on it, file it down first.
• You will get a couple of hoops out of your coil of tubing.

Time required: 20 minutes

Difficulty: easy

Cost: $50.00

Materials:

• 3/4 in. x 100 ft. IPS 160 PSI or 100 PSI NSF Poly Pipe
• 3/4 in. x 3/4 in. PVC Barb x Barb Insert Coupling
• Electrical Tape

Tools:

• Ratcheting PVC Cutters
• Pot of Boiling Water
• Optional: Tape Measure

Instructions:

1. Boil a pot of water. Seriously.

2. Measure out the length for your hoop. There are two ways to do this. First, cut a coil that makes a circle right below your belly button. For the second method, you need to do a little math. Figure what you would like your diameter to be for your new hoop. I would say anything between 37 inches to 40 inches would be ideal for a beginner. Multiply your diameter by pi (3.14), and the result is the length of tubing you want to cut.Be careful with those PVC cutters! They are a serious tool.

3. Now that you have your length of tube, go to the boiling water in the pot and take a coupling with you. Put the first end of your hoop into the pot for a few inches and keep it in for about 30 seconds. Take your coupling shove in about halfway. Repeat for the other end of the pipe. Ta da! You have a hoop!

4. Tape you hoop with electical tape.. I mean, you could hoop with it the way it is, but going over it with electrical tape will protect it. Here's a good place to learn to tape a hoop: http://www.hooping.org/2012/04/5-simple-tips-for-taping-a-hoop/

Perhaps you want something a little lighter and skinnier. Use 1/2" 125 psi tubing with a 1/2"x1/2" insert barb connector. Follow the same directions as above!

This weight of tubing makes excellent hoops for kids, too. Want a quick gift idea for an active kid? Make a hoop in this weight and don't tape it. Leave it blank, so to speak. Grab a bunch of cool electrical tape and stickers from the dollar store, and let the kid decorate their own hoop. Not only are they getting outside, they are getting creative!