Department: Hoop-Making
How To Make Your Own Hula Hoop - UK Style
When you want to make your own hula hoop we can tell you how, but if you live in the UK the materials you use aren't always the same. Instructables highlights what these differences are, like which blue tubing to use, including some great visual aids for just how to make it happen. "This is how to make a hula hoop using components you can buy in the UK. I've been making hula hoops for about two and a half years. I've tried to include here the wisdom I have gained from making lots of hoops. I use the tools that I've found in my mum's garage, as you may not have the same tools, I've tried to suggest possible alternatives. Instructables.com
How to Make High-Performance White Plastic Hoops.
Rich Porter has been hooping with white plastic hoops since he first began experimenting with them a year and a half ago. "When I started my extensive research trying to find a lighter, more rigid plastic for my regular hoop, Patrick of psihoops was one of the first people I contacted. He’s been using alternative plastics for over five years for LED hoops. Back when he started using these types of plastic, the desire for faster, lighter hoops than could be made with black irrigation tubing just didn’t exist in our community." Now he outlines how to connect the tubing in a comprehensive post sharing everything you’ll need to get started. Isopop
Making a Hula Hoop and Connector
Random Bits and Projects turns the spotlight on hoopmaking this week, just in time for the holidays to help you whip up a few extra presents. She uses the coiled pvc she was able to find in her area (Northern Florida). "I have seen [coiled pvc] in red and white at Home Depot. I bought the white. No reason. I covered it with tape later. You can buy a large coil or a short one. The large is around 100 feet long but you can get many future hoops from it or share/sell with friends and it is cheapest in the long run. So far I have cut 4 hoops and I still have enough left for a few more. The shorter (15 feet?) will cost less up front, but you only have enough for one hoop. Once you add the cost of taping it, you might as well order a pre-made hoop for a little more." Her post includes great tips and hoop making photos: Random Bits and Projects
Reclaimed Hoop Lanterns Light Up a Home
Not sure what to do with your unwanted old beat up hoops? You can always retape them to bring them into a new day, or maybe you might want to make yourself an incredible lantern for your home. Artist/designer John Zane of San Francisco has done just that. The lanterns pictured were designed and hand-made by Zane and the fantastic 4-5 ft. lanterns were created using hula hoops and fabric that were abandoned post Burning Man. Not feeling so crafty yourself? Fernseed has Zane's creations for sale: Fernseed
The Hoopla: Playful Ritual At It's Best
Gretchen Wegner writes about a "Hoopla." She writes, "A hoopla is a playful ritual designed to celebrate and affirm the hoops that we jump through in our lives. Last year at our housewarming party, we invited fellow revelers to decorate our hoola hoop (pictured). Whenever there is an occasion worthy of marking, my housemates and I improvise a hoopla. ... It’s playful, unpretentious, and ultimately profound. In our household, most of our hooplas take less than 2 minutes. Each is unique. They often occur in the kitchen (where we share stories about our day while we cook)." Cynthia Winton Henry describes the first Hoopla in the video below:
Making Glow In The Dark Hoops On a Shoestring
LauPre created some glow in the darks hoops on a budget. She writes, "Last summer I heard about making your own hula hoops. I found out that hoops you find in the toy isle at the store just aren’t that great, and a bigger, heavier hoop can not only make hooping easier, but it’s a lot more fun, too! ... After seeing some cool LED hoops online (starting at $100!) I decided I wanted a glowing hoop, but for cheaper. The cheap tubing I was buying is black and opaque, so I set off again in search of a better tube. I found Pex tubing this week. It’s a white and more transparant kind of tubing intended for potable water. After visiting some home improvement stores for tubing and my friendly neighborhood dollar store to score some glow sticks I just had to wait until it was dark and start spinning light." Full post: LauPre
Making Hoola Hoops With The Orbettes
It's time to make some hoops with The Orbettes in Houston, Texas. They write, "Rustle up an employee that can tell you where everything is. This will probably be the hardest part of the whole process. Make a list and show them what you need and which godforsaken aisle it might be on. Better yet, tell them you are making a hula hoop. Most hardware stores get more DIY hoop makers than you'd guess and the employees I've met have all known why I was buying the tubing. I guess I don't look like I'm in the irrigation business?" They take you the whole process and tell you just how they do it. The Orbettes
Making a Hoop in Argentina
Robin Marie, originally from New York, writes, "I've been on a mission to find a hula hoop here in Argentina. It's a great way to exercise, and I really miss my hoop back home! It's not a very common item here in Argentina, so I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find the materials or a pre-fab hoop to buy. Wouldn't you know that one block from my house there's a hardware store with everything I needed for about $5 US?! The kindly man in the hardware store really didn't understand what was going on, but he was very nice and helpful and interested in learning what I was doing. Broken Spanish be damned, we're makin' friends! Thanks for all your help Fernando Photos here. Full post: Little Bird, Big World
The Pickle Mamas on Paint, Paper and Crafts
Paint, Paper and Crafts is a show hosted by Sloan Payne-Rutter focused on the widespread phenomenon of paper crafting and scrapbooking that has taken the crafting world by storm. The show is a collaboration of painting, crafting and paper projects, so it was only natural that at some point it would be time to get into making your own hoop. Enter Grayson and Meghan, aka The Pickle Mamas, who showed up on a recent episode to do just that. The best friends, who have been creating art together for eight years and have a myriad of talents, not only make their own hoops, they also host some hooping workshops. Check out their segment on Paint, Paper and Crafts below:
Hoop-ty Do It Yourself
Katherine Benenati tells readers how to "Hoop-ty Do It Yourself" for The Arkansas Democrat Gazette. She writes, "'Hoop-making was born out of necessity,' said Philo Hagen, editor of the Web site hooping.org, based in San Francisco. 'Originally there was no other way to have them.' Those hoops you find for $6 at discount chains - child's play. They're too light and too small for an adult, Hagen said. Many people who think they can't hoop fail because they're forcing their adult bodies into a child's hoop. ... Today, one doesn't have to be crafty or lucky at a concert to land a hoop. Web sites like philthyhoops.com sell hoops - sparkle, camo, basic - starting at $25. ... "There's still something to be said about decorating it yourself," Hagen said. "If you make a hoop that's all about you, you're going to be even more excited about using it.'" Full story: Arkansas Democrat Gazette
Making Quick-Release Connectors For Collapsible or Glowing Interior Hoops
Kristen Teffeteller in Tennessee is sharing the news about her quick-release connectors for hoop making. She writes, "Why would one want to do this? For me, it was because I wanted a glow stick hoop that opened up easily. My original was just a twisting collapsible, but to open the hoop took more time than I wanted and I had to use a hairdryer until I managed to stretch one of the hoop ends out enough to just pull really hard on it." That worked okay until she split her lip open taking it apart, so she came up with a different solution. You can read about it here: The Little One
How To Make a Collapsable Hoola Hoop That Twists
How do you make a collapsable hoola hoop that twists? Rachel Peak, aka peakRrr, in San Jose, California, was wondering the same thing. She decided to try and make one for herself and after a lot of trial and error she came up with a version she is calling the Butterfly. She told Hooping.org, "It opens and closes like a butterfly, hence the name, adding, "I thought some of your readers might be interested in making one for themselves. It's turning out to be pretty darn sturdy. You'll find it is a lot heavier than a regular hoop because you need something extra strong (i.e., brass or steel) as the axis inside the rotating connector. Weaker materials let the hoop make an acute angle at the connection point where the connector has been cut. The hoop will eventually break catapulting the connector axis at pets, priceless pottery and significant others! While this version is still in beta testing, I've taken it many places and so far so good, there haven't been any problems and it's a lot easier to carry around in crowds than regular hoops." Indeed. So how can you make one for yourself? Follow her directions below:
1. Take a regular connector and cut it in half using two cuts right up against the center barbs. This leaves only the barbed ends, not the flat part in the middle. Sand the cut areas until smooth and level. The cut ends need to be able to rotate against each other without getting caught up on snags.
2. Take a brass bolt, just a little longer (1/4"?) than the two barbed connector pieces end-to-end, with the head just a little bigger than the hole in the connector, and the shaft just slightly smaller in diameter than the connector's center hole. You don't want wiggle room. Thread the bolt through one barbed connector part, then put a rounded black plastic hose/plumbing washer on the bolt shaft, then the second barbed connector part.
3. Take a dab of gorilla glue, put it on the threaded end of the bolt, and screw a cap onto the bolt that is the same size as the bolt head, being very careful not to glue the bolt to the connector itself (the bolt should hold the connector parts together very snugly, but also allow the connector parts to rotate independently of each other - this is how you get the "twist"). I tightened that as much as I could with pliers, so it would not come unscrewed while collapsing and unfolding the hoop. If it's loose or has any give, it will pinch you, and it also won't hold it's shape. That said, don't try to rotate it while the glue is drying, this will weaken the bond.
4. Let the glue dry overnight.
5. Assemble the hoop in the regular way, using the new rotating connector. I used 3/4" 160 psi tubing. This method didn't work so well with 1" tubing because its harder to coil, but it would probably work with lighter weight tubing--I haven't tried it. The smaller the hoop diameter is, the harder it will be to collapse--you'll probably want to use lighter tubing for small hoops.
6. I wrapped either side of the joint with gaffer tape, both to easily identify the twist point and to make gripping it while twisting easier.
7. To collapse it, hold the hoop upright, parallel to your body, with your hands on each side of the joint. Put your foot on the bottom of the hoop and hold it against the ground firmly for stability. Grasping the hoop tightly, rotate your grips in opposite directions, one toward your body and one away, while gently pushing down. The hoop should start to twist and fold. You may have to adjust your grip as it is collapsing. When it's in a flattened figure-8 shape but not completely flat, put one hand (or the foot that isn't stabilizing the bottom of the hoop) on the joint, pressing down gently to keep it folded, and grasp the outside of one of the outer round "wings." Then move the hand still near the joint to the outside of the other wing. Bring your hands together, as if you're closing a book. This should complete the collapse. I then hold mine closed with a velcro strap, otherwise it will pop open like a butterfly.
8. When unfolding, use the same technioque in reverse. It will take a little use or rotatin the joint in the opposite direction to fully return to a round shape.
9. Do not store folded. This will make it really hard to return to the hoop shape.
Published on February 10, 2009 | LINK | Comments (1)Hoop Making Canadian Style
Snowzilla at Suspicious Chicken writes, "When I first got hooked on hoop dance earlier this summer, I got equally hooked on making hoops - or rather, learning how to make hoops. ... And if you’re like me, and you’re Canadian, you started your search for 160psi 3/4 inch or 1 inch irrigation tubing, and you discovered that what you were looking for was, in fact, a mythical unicorn in knee socks. In Canadian Home Depots, asking the guy in the orange pinnie for 160psi 3/4 inch or 1 inch irrigation tubing will probably yield this answer: “It doesn’t come in that size." She shares her take on finding supplies for Canuck hoop-lovers. Full Post: Suspicious Chicken
Making Hoops: Experimenting With Tubing
Rich Porter of Isopop has taken his background in architectural design and started applying his scienceto hoop making, tracking down a variety of different tubing options and putting nine different options to the test. He writes, "Polyethylene is the standard hoop tube. Of all the tubes I’ve tried, in my opinion, it’s the best tube for most hoopers. For those who hoop extremely fast, I think High Pressure Polyethylene (HPPE) is a better tube. It’s slightly lighter and slighty stiffer. Polyproplyne is also a great tube. It’s even lighter than HPPE but springier and less stiff than HPPE. It almost feels like kids hoop tube." He's created a table of the 9 tubing options he's tried as well. Isopop
Identi-Tape Expands Their Tape Selection
Just in time for your hoop making projects for the holidays, our friends over at Identi-tape.com have some new choices. They told Hooping.org, "This year we brought in new colors, widths, lengths and patterns and we're busy expanding our hula hoop tape selection." Looking around we discovered the new Fluorescent Sequins tapes in pink, green and yellow - and regular blue as well. The Purple Daze tape caught our eye too, and it's great to see the Silver Sequins in 3/4" finally. And don't forget that Hooping.org readers get a special discount too. Use the discount code “hula hula” and receive 15% off orders over $100.
David Gets The Hooping Bug
David writes, "Now, up until yesterday, I haven’t touched a hula hoop since I was a kid. And like most people I thought that hula hooping was just something only kids do…. well boy was I wrong. I found dozens of videos on YouTube showing adults, both men and women, hula hooping. I started feeling like a kid again and I even went out in search of a hula hoop at the local department store, however they didn’t have any, which turned out to be a good thing. I came back home and looked up instructions on google for how to make a hoop and it took me about 1 hour and 30 minutes to go buy the materials I needed and then about 1 hour and 15 minutes to put it together and decorate it. I immediately started hooping in my living room and yes I felt like a kid again, but this time I had an adult size hoop." Full post: Earth David
Domestic Drop-out Drops Into The Hoop
Manda writes on her blog, "About a month ago, a friend of mine turned me onto her newest favorite past time. Hula Hooping. At first thought, it seems a bit juvenile. I explained to her that those plastic hoops from Walmart just don’t seem to work. I’ve tried hooping, as an adult, and I can’t seem to keep the hoop spinning like I once could. I was assured, however, that the hoops she was referencing weren’t the cheap plastic variety. They were the larger (still cheap) adult kind. Made from 100 or 160 psi black tubing and electrical tape. She linked me to a few videos and that was it. I’m hooked. Or should I say “hooped?” I ran out that next day and bought tubing, connectors, and gobs of colorful electrical tape. I started off making the violet and green hoop for myself and two hoops for the girls. Each girl picked out their own colors and now guard their hoops relentlessly from each other." Full Post: Domestic Drop-Out
Downsizing to a Smaller Hoop
After hooping with a very large hoop for several years, I recently made a change in hoop size going for a smaller version and it took some getting used to. Jennifer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is experiencing the same thing. She writes, "A few weeks ago, i made myself a 39" hoop so that i could start working on more off-body moves. but i'm feeling almost like a total beginner again! Something as simple as waist hooping is now tough again, the darn thing is crashing to the ground way more than i'd like. While i'm not surprised that a smaller diameter hoop needs quicker movement to keep going, and spins more quickly, I'm getting frustrated that I'm not able to hoop to some slower songs because when i move my hips to match the beat of the music, it's too slow to keep the hoop going - and i didn't have that problem when i used a 42" hoop. ... Is there a secret to getting a small hoop to move like a larger one? Or do you just switch up the hoops that you use?"
Silverstar in the San Francisco Bay Area notes, "Don't be in a huge rush to start hooping with a 32" hoop. If you are used to a 42" hoop, then a change of even 3" is a lot for your body and brain to adjust to. I used a 42" hoop for the first eight months I hooped. Then I made a bunch of hoops, each 1" smaller. The first few weren't too much of an adjustment in general (although certain tricks were a challenge), but I think that it helped me a lot to make the change gradual. Just going from 42" to 39" was noticeable. Now that I'm down to 36" I've realized how much of a process it was!"
In dealing with the music issue, Caroleeena in Raleigh, North Carolina, said, "I suggest that you practice playing with tempo. Tempo is the rate of a repeating event. If the repeating event is how often you move your hips forward/back, you can adjust that. For example, if the song is slow and the beat is a four count, consider breaking the beats from 4x to 8x. Instead of thinking one-two-three-four as the count you use for dancing, start to think in the pattern of one-and-two-and-three-and four. Like a waltz. And just as you can speed up to change your tempo, you can slow down your tempo. If the beat is fast, break a one-and-two-and-three-and-four beat down to one-two-three-four. It's the difference between 'regular time' and 'split time'."
Lauren in Washington, D.C., started out using hoops around 43-39 inches before making a big drop in size. She said, "I also started using less tape to get a lighter hoop just to see how it felt. It was a huge adjustment - initally i think i went from 38 or 39 inches down to 36 inches, and it took a lot of practice to get a feel for it. ... The small hoop felt like a rubber hair band on my waist at first. It just took time... But I personally love smaller hoops now that I am used to them. I can appreciate a good groove hoop and still use them, but I found it much easier to dance and have control when I used a smaller, lighter hoop. I like having a variety of speeds to play with, and different weights and sizes really help keep me from getting into a lull."
One of the deciding factors for me in going with a smaller and lighter hoop came about as a result of a thumb injury. I loved my big heavy hoop, but tossing it high into the air one day I swear I heard a cracking sound when it came down directly on my thumb because I was slightly off in catching it. Although it wasn't broken, it did take a few weeks for it heal. Now that I'm using the smaller hoop, I've tried using my big one every so often and it feels so heavy and cumbersome, but the momentum it carries with it is really fun to play with too. Nevertheless, I'm sticking with my new smaller and lighter one.
Published on June 04, 2008 | LINK | Comments (0)Hollow Earth Radio Makes Their Own Hoops
While Hollow Earth Radio in Seattle, Washington, operates literally out of a basement, they bring great music and information to the airwaves - and internet. At the recent Folklife Festival, Hollow Earth was on hand collecting field recordings. They saw a woman with a big hoola hoop, and they asked her where she got it. She told them that she made it herself, ultimately inspiring others to get to work making their own homemade hoops. While our instructions as always are here, you can listen to a Hoop Construction tutorial here on Hollow Earth.
Crafty Do-It-Yourself Types Discover LED Hoops
While we've written about how to make an LED hoop before, with the recent article in Craft Magazine letting their readers in on the secret, and Diy Life telling their readers about LED hoop making kits, the news is certainly current again. Brooklynne Morris writes for Craftzine, "LED hula hoops are so beautiful to watch and creating a custom hoop is a satisfying challenge. Twenty-one LEDs are used in this hoop; 6 are flashing LEDs that cycle through the colors of the rainbow. Each light is combined with a resistor and then wired together in a classic and simple parallel circuit." If that makes sense to you, maybe you should consider it. If you're already feeling overwhelmed, like we are, you can always purchase your LED hoop from one of our advertisers. (Thanks Alison)
How to Build a Bike Rack for Your Hoops
While we wrote about this a couple years ago, there have been a number of inquiries, mostly from hoopers going to Burning Man, asking for advice on transporting hoops while riding a bicycle. Jay has instructions for how to build a bike rack for hoola hoops with excellent visuals on how to make it happen. He made his for about $40. He says, "I tested it with four hoops and i barely even noticed them when riding around. Now I just need to decorate the PVC as that white is ug-ly..."
Hoola Hoop Tape Tips
Tracey in Shawnee, Oklahoma, wrote in asking for tips on how to tape her hoop. Decorating your own hoop for the first time can be a challenge, so when you're done making your hoop, here's a video trio giving you the inside scoop on how it's done by two women who have it down. Natasha in Dayton, Ohio, delivers some excellent instructions on how she tapes her hoops and why, followed by two videos of Xta in Vancouver, British Columbia, wrapping herself a rainbow hoop while explaining the methods to her madness. So enjoy these visual guides on how to decorate your hoop and you'll be taping like a pro in no time.
Natasha: How To Tape a Hoop
Xta: Wrapping a Rainbow Hoop
Xta: Adding a Spiral to a Rainbow Hoop
Getting Crafty Gets Fit
Jummy asks at Getting Crafty, "Are you looking for a craft that can be used to keep fit? Allow me to introduce you to hooping! Hooping is a sport that adults everywhere are taking up. I look at it as the new bellydancing. It’s like the hula hooping of your youth, stepped up quite a few notches: you use an adult size hoop (that reaches anywhere from your chest to your belly button, and the hoops are heavier than the ones sold for children; they are generally made of pvc." Read the full posting.
How To Make a LED Hoop
Friends of Jeffkobi's wanted a lighted hoop for Burning Man. He writes, "When they turned out to be about $200 each, I decided to make one. All the parts cost about $15 . . . total time to make the hoop was about 3 hours, but that included time for figuring things out. You could probably make one in less than 2 hours with this instructable and soldering skills." His tutorial includes a series of seven steps with photos.
Your Hooping.org Tape Savings
Quite some time ago Hooping.org negotiated a 15% Discount from Identi-tape.com. All you had to do was put the words "hula hula" in the comment box. Recently they made some changes and our ye olde discount didn't work anymore. But wait, it's back! Drop the words "hula hula" in the discount code box now and save 15%. Karen told me they've also increased the length of their rolls again to better serve us hoopers with 36-foot minimum decorative tape rolls with some types in 110-foot and 330-foot rolls. Thanks Identi-tape.
Weighted Hoops: The Great Weight Debate!
by Ron Klint
"Can you make me a five pound hula hoop?” “Do you have any seven pound hula hoops for sale?” “How much weight is right for me?” These common questions are asked over and over again. “I need to lose a lot of weight so I need a heavy hoop”.
In an effort to answer this question I have relied on my own experience hooping, and working with thousands of people who have purchased my hoops and the comments I have received over the years. I read articles on hooping and constantly scan Hooping.org Magazine and the web for articles or stories related to the “size” question. In addition I’ve asked health professionals their opinion of hooping in general and size and weight in particular. How many times have we heard from people who have bruises running around their mid-section from “ribs” or too heavy a hoop? I don’t think the term “No Pain, No Gain” was meant to include hooping. Hooping should be looked at as a fun, effective way to lose weight, or just groove on the great feeling that hooping provides. If you are experiencing bruising from hooping you should stop and examine your hoop and your hooping routine.
Hoop makers and sellers have done the general public a disservice by telling everyone that they should get a “weighted” hula hoop. I don’t feel qualified to speak for everyone, but when I have used the term “weighted hula hoop” it has been to simply differentiate the so called adult hoops from the plastic toy hoops found at many brand name toy stores.
It is no secret that a larger, and yes heavier hoop is easier to use than the lightweight toy hoops. This has led many people to believe that the heavier the hoop the more weight they will lose. I don’t think there is a health or physical fitness professional who could make this claim. Like any other exercise you lose weight by utilizing oxygen and burning fat. You need to get your heart rate up to at least 65-85% of it’s maximum or you are not working in the fat burning zone. It is the act of hooping, the movement and exertion involved in maintaining hoop rotation that ultimately results in weight and inches lost. The more time you spend hooping the more oxygen you've utilized and the more fat is burned and the more weight is lost.
This would lead me to believe that the ideal weight loss hoop would be one in which a person can maintain the hooping rotation for the longest period of time while burning the maximum number of calories. The individual can choose between a smaller lighter hoop which will require more energy per rotation, which would provide a better aerobic workout, or a larger heavier hoop that, while requiring less energy per rotation, would allow the individual to hoop for a longer period of time to reach their fat burning zone. I equate this choice to the difference between running and walking for exercise.
We also know that “weight” in almost any exercise adds “resistance”. The added resistance should make the muscles work harder, leading to weight loss benefit and muscle strength and toning. However, we also know that the larger heavier hoops rotate more slowly thus reducing the aerobic benefits of hooping. Where is the point of diminishing returns related to resistance and aerobic benefits?
Unfortunately this still doesn’t answer the original question about size and weight for any particular person. Hooping.org, in a simple “How To Hula Hoop” instruction sheet, recommends that the hoop, when standing in front of you, reaches between the your belly button and the middle of your chest. My experience selling hoops to people at fairs and festivals tells me this is a good start for selecting the right hoop. I look at their body type and suggest a hoop for them. Almost always this is intuitive based on the size of the individual. After trying the hoop and seeing the level of hooping expertise we often come to the conclusion that a smaller or larger hoop might be a better fit. You must also ask yourself why you are buying a hoop in the first place. If the person is planning to use the hoop for exercise they almost always choose the smaller and lighter hoop because they know they will be getting a better workout.
If purchased for family or party fun I recommend a larger hoop as it is important for first timers to be successful hooping. I also never recommend adult hoops for smaller children as I am concerned with possible damage to their smaller bodies and body organs being so close to the surface. Kids have a ton of energy and seem to like the energy output required to maintain hooping with a smaller lighter weight hoop. It makes me tired just watching them.
My experience has led me to believe that a hoop of between 32 and 45 inches in diameter and weighing between one and two pounds is ideal for all types of hooping. Not too large or too heavy to cause damage, but big enough to make hooping easier for the beginner and expert alike. It is also easier to do tricks with a lighter hoop moving the hoop up and down the body.
If anyone knows of a study on the effects of hooping related to size and weight I would very much like to see it. It would be great if the many claims made about hooping could be substantiated with some empirical testing by professionals. Your comments would be appreciated. Thanks and Happy Hooping!
Ron Klint
Canyon Hoops
Making Hoops in the UK
Richard in the UK tells us, "I've started making my own hoops and tracking down materials in the UK
turned out to be a little trickier than I expected, but a visit to my local farming supplies store paid off. I'm sure there must be a few other people in the UK who are wondering where to get tubing from. I bought mine from "Mole Valley Farmers" in Bridgwater. I was pleased to find that they stock the 1 inch diameter tubing. Also, I found that there are BIG differences in the prices of pvc electrical tape. The big hardware stores sell little 15meter rolls for 99p but you can buy nice big 33meter rolls from specialist building suppliers - I buy mine from "Electro Volt South West."
How to Make a Hula Hoop
Jason Strauss may very well be the Godfather of hooping these days. Not only has he been sharing his excellent directions on how to make a hula hoop for years, and how to make a collapsible hoop, it was Jason who gave the editors of hooping.org their first hoops the night we met him. Many others who have encountered Jason over the years have similar stories to tell. We've been with him many times to hear the "you taught me how to make a hoop" stories too, and if you're looking for Hoop Making 101, start with reading Jason's instructions.
Vera made her first two hoops using those directions, providing a photographic essay here on how it all transpired. Philo followed the same plan when he decided to make a hoop for the first time, only instead of a blow dryer, which he didn't have at the time, he opted for using fire. These days he prefers the simplicity and manageability of using hot water.
While the primary difficulty involved with hoop-making continues to be simply finding the right tubing, visit our Hoop Making archives for more tips on how to make a hula hoop.
Published on August 18, 2006 | LINK | Comments (71)In Hot Water
When it comes to making a hoop of your own there's more than one way to connect your polyethylene tubing. While a blow dryer is one way to do it, and the method that I used for quite some time, when the time arrived for me to construct numerous hoops at once I found that the blow dryer and the air heated pipe really dried out my hands, in a rather uncomfortable and sometimes painful way.
At Burning Man last year I took 500 feet of tubing and a box of tape along with me to make up hoops galore to give to people on the playa - and it was there, given the lack of electricity, that I started trying out the boiling water method. Filling up a camp pot with water and sticking it on the stove, not only was I able to connect pipes in what appeared to be a smoother and easier way, I could make dozens and my hands were just as comfortable when I finsihed as when I began. It's as if the water not only heats the pipe to the temperature needed for it to expand for a connector to be inserted, but the water seems to act as something of a lubricant itself, making the insertion slick, smooth and simple.
I've been heating up the ends of my tubing to make hoops using a big ass pot of boiling water on the stove ever since. I find that submerging them for about twenty seconds works best. Leaving the tubing in boiling water for too long could result in the pipe ends melting, warping, making the connection ultimately less than smooth. So the next time you're making a hoola hoop, think about doing it in the kitchen. If you're anything like me, you'll be glad you did!
- Philo Hagen
Published on August 03, 2006 | LINK | Comments (5)Hoops Of Hazard
Who would have guessed it? There are even hazards to our wonderful world of hooping! You probably never considered the dangers and come to think of it I am struggling to imagine one. There is always the possibility of getting the hoop caught on something when you have it around your neck, or all the neat times we fall off stages and floats. Ten days ago, I learned a hard lesson, but I also learned some very powerful new tools.
While rushing to finish a light-up hoop, my hand slipped, and the blade of a brand new Leatherman Super Tool, deeply lacerated my left wrist. Within three minutes, I was in serious psychogenic shock, unconscious, with a low blood pressure and pale skin. Fortunately, my partner was home at the time. He stayed calm enough to hold tight pressure, catch me in mid-air when I passed out, drag me to the neighbor's house to call 911, and yell for help from anybody who could hear.
In the ER, I received lots of nice pain medication, and 25 stitches (one in an artery, 12 in the fascia-layer, and 12 in my outer-skin layer). I managed to sever a tendon and go deep enough to cause the arterial squirt.
As soon as I cut myself I realized that I wasn't going to be able to perform that night and my entire day was going to change. Instead of a fast-paced, over-planned day, I would be glued to the bed on Morphine and Norco.
The next day I attempted to hoop and it was excruciating pain to the entire left arm to even tilt my upper body. So I prepared myself to cancel the following gig.
When Halloween night came around I decided that I would attempt to dance the gig, and I realized that even with one arm the hoop dance can be amazing. I think we forget how cool our dance is, even when we do simple tricks. So I had the opportunity to execute an entire performance with one arm. I even created some new tricks, like the one-armed traveler. There were definitely some moves that were painful, but I tried to keep my stage face.
Yesterday, I got my stitches out and I don't have to wear a splint anymore. As a matter of fact I get to start squeezing a psychedelic neon squishy ball for my therapy. Maybe in a few days I can start wearing pants with buttons and a real bra.
I learned quite a few valuable lessons during this freak hoop accident:
- Don't procrastinate when the job involves using sharp tools.
- Under-booking the day is better than overbooking the day.
- Hooping with a handicap is totally possible.
- Never underestimate the hazards of hooping.
I wanted to share my experience with all my fellow hoop fanatics, so you don't have to learn this lesson the hard way. I know most of us make our own hoops and we forget about the safety factors. If anyone has some hoop hazard stories or videos you should send them to me. I think I'll make a local low-budget video of hooper bloopers. Published on December 07, 2005 | LINK | Comments (7)
The Hoopla: Playful Ritual At It's Best
Making Glow In The Dark Hoops On a Shoestring
Making Hoola Hoops With The Orbettes
Making a Hoop in Argentina
The Pickle Mamas on Paint, Paper and Crafts
Dig Deeper: Into the Archives