DIY PVC Pipe Hula Hoop

Today I am going to show you how to make a professional hula hoop, not like those cheap kiddy ones you can buy at the store. You can make them any size to fit anyone. They are great for adults and kids. They are great for exercising and great fun for the whole family. A great fun summer activity. These are great for hoop dancing I show a video of me and my brother hoop dancing in 2011 ( I would suggest skipping the video to 1:17 for the better parts) I hope you enjoy.

• 100-foot roll of 3/4, 160 psi PVC irrigational tubing (makes approximantly 9 to 15 hoops)
• 3/4 inch coupling
• black electrical tape
• colorful electrical tape (for grip and deisgn)
• ratcheting pipe cutter
• flexible measuring tape
• small pot (to boil water in)

To decide how big your hoop needs to be, measure from your navel (belly button) to the floor. Then multiply by pi.

Example: 40 inches X 3.14 = 125.60 inches, then you would round that up to 126 inches

Now take that measurement (example 126 inches) and measure along the inside curve of the tubing. (by taping one end of the measuring tape to the end of the pipe) Your measuring tape will not be long enough; so when you reach the end of the tape, put a piece of colorful tape there to mark it and keep going from there. When you have gotten to your desired measurement, grab your ratcheting pipe cutters and cut the pipe. After you cut the pipe get a washcloth wet and wipe down the pipe (the reason you do this is the pipe is very dirty and the tape will not stick to it)

Put a couple of inches of water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. When the water is at a rolling boil, stick one end of the tubing in and hold it there for one minute. Then slowly slide the connector in half way (don't push to hard or fast or the connector will slide in past the halfway mark.) Now put the other end in the water for one minute. Then slide it onto the connector as well. Hold both ends together for 15 to 20 seconds while running cold water over the seam. Place a strip of black electrical tape over the seam. Your hoop may look like a oval shape. You'll want to shape your hoop into a circular shape. Turn your hoop till the taped seam is on the side and press down on it.

Warning! Do not grab the end once you take it out of the water as it will very be hot!

Now comes the fun part! Decorating! Not just to make your hoop look pretty but it also gives your hoop grip; otherwise it would be very slippery and hard to keep up. Grab your colorful electrical tape. You can use duct tape ,but it is harder to work with and will be bumpy. There are many different ways you can do this. You can use just one color; you can criss cross two colors. Decorate it how you want it to look. To make it how this one is made start at the inside of the hoop and have the tape at a slant and bring the tape around and around until you reach were you started. Then do the same thing with your other color but start in between the stripes you just made.

And you're done!. I hope you enjoyed this Instructable. If you make one, post a picture in the comments. I would love to see how you decorated it. And if you have any questions, post them in the comments as well. Have fun & don't forget to vote :)