There are many tutorials for hoop making online, but none seem to be Australian. Most tutorials are from the US where they have different standard pipe sizes and fittings. So here it is, hoop making down under -

Get together the following:

- 20mm blue line waterpipe (see step 1 to determine length) *
- 10-15cm 16mm pipe
- Ratcheting plastic pipe cutter
- Drill (I use a 3mm bit)
- Blind rivert gun
- Rivets (I use size 4.4)

* You can buy this in 3m precut lengths from ‘big box’ hardware stores. Three metres is about perfect for a standard adult sized hoop.

1. Measure from the floor to your hip and multiply by 3.14. Cut a piece this length from the 20mm pipe. If you want a slightly bigger (easier to use) hoop measure to your belly button instead of your hip).

2. Insert the 16mm pipe halfway into one end of the 3m length of pipe, then insert the rest of the 16mm pipe into the other end of the 3m pipe to create a complete circle.

3. Drill a hole approx 2cm from the join and use your rivet gun to fix the two pieces of pipe together.

4. Flip the hoop over and do the same on the other side. I like to place my rivets so they’re on opposite sides of the hoop / diagonally opposite.

5. Tape your hoop.

6. Done

NOTES:

• If you want to make a larger ‘dance’ style hoop buy 25mm pipe instead and make your joiner out of 20mm pipe.
• If you don’t have access to a drill and rivet gun you can use glue to fix the joiner into the hoop. The only glue on the retail market that works with PE type plastics is “Selley’s Plastics Glue”.
• The easiest and cheapest tape to get hold of is electrical tape. My favourite is 3M brand as it’s thicker, stronger and has nicer colours than the cheapie brand electrical tapes. My favourite Australian hoop tape seller is Pretty Sticky.
• When you travel it’s worth checking out stationers, art supplies and hardware stores. I’ve picked up some great low-cost tapes in the US, Japan and Thailand. Interestingly, while the standard colours for electrical tape in Australia are black, white and the primaries, the standard colours for electrical tape in the US include purple and orange. Awesome. Pretty colours for not much coin :)

Many times, when we’re running hoop jams people tell their children to take the smaller hoops, thinking they will be easier to use, but the opposite is actually the case. Bigger hoops take longer to make their way around your body, so you don’t have to work as hard to keep them up.

Adults at jams often tell us that they ‘used to be able to hoop as children but can’t do it anymore’. After a couple of tries of our mega-size beginner hoops they end up grinning ear to ear having discovered they CAN still do it. From there we step them down through our variously sized hoops until they’re hooping like a pro with an appropriately sized adult hoop.

Unfortunately the majority of hoops available from regular retailers are too small for anyone over about ten and even then, they are too light for many children to keep up. The cheapest ones (covered in shiny tape and usually around $4) are suitable for pre-schoolers, while the larger hard plastic stripey ones with the beads inside would be fine for tweens, but anyone older than that needs to either make their own or buy from a specialty supplier. Some of the really cheap hoops are only made of cardboard (covered with shiny tape). It is best to avoid these as they don’t last very long and are easily kinked.

So, what size should you get? A good rule of thumb is to measure from the floor up to your hipbone and buy/make a hoop with that diameter. Apart from size, weight is another consideration. A medium weight hoop is best for general hooping and circus style tricking while heavy weight hoops are great for achieving a slower, more sensual hoop dance style. Lightweight hoops are great for hand hooping and multi-hoop work.

Keep your eyes open for the cheap hoops that Aldi sells from time to time. A pair of them (with the beads or liquid emptied out and taped to add weight) make great minis for poi-style hooping :)

So, you’ve had a look online and think that at 10 times the price of a kid’s hoop, $30 for an adult hoop is a bit expensive. Perhaps it would be cheaper to make your own?

Here’s a bit of a run down of the costs involved in making a medium weight adult hoop using materials from your local ‘big box’ hardware store:

• 3m precut length of 20mm HDPE blue line pipe – $7
• 3m precut length of 16mm HDPE pipe – $7 (cut a 15cm piece to use as a joiner)
• Selley’s Plastics Glue* – $7 (the only glue on the market that works on PE type plastics)
• Two rolls of electrical tape – $5

TOTAL = $26

So, $26 is probably the cheapest you can make your hoop for, and that is just a basic two colour hoop decorated with electrical tape. No glitter, no sparkles, no pretty colours. When you factor in the time to buy the materials and make the hoop (45 minutes), $30 seems quite reasonable.

Of course, if you are making hoops in bulk, the cost per hoop comes down quite a bit. For example, you can get 20mm blue line pipe for about $1/m if you buy a 50m roll, and the glue will do at least five hoops, but  generally my advice to newbie hoopers is this: if you just want one hoop buy it it from a specialty hoop maker. For not much more than the cost of making a hoop yourself you will end up with a way prettier hoop, support a small business and save yourself a couple of hours :)

* whilst the glue works quite well, it is fallible, so a better option is to rivet the joiner in place, for which you need a rivet gun, rivets and a drill.