How to Build Your Own Hula Hoop

Although the hula hoop's exact origins are not clear, it has been documented as having been enjoyed by both children and adults throughout history. The hoops boast worldwide popularity, and are played with as objects for rolling, twirling and throwing, as well as "hula-hooping."
Various materials have been used to construct the hoops over the toy's lifetime, including grapevines, willow, stiff grasses and rattan vines. Most modern commercially manufactured hula hoops are made of lightweight wood or plastic products, and measure about 28 inches in diameter. Here's a hula hoop project that you can make with your kids in about 1 hour using PVC and other inexpensive materials.

Things You'll Need

• 1 package of PVC irrigation tubing, 100 psi 3/4 inch
• Hacksaw or PVC cutter
• File, rasp or rough sandpaper
• 3/4-inch PVC connector
• Masking tape
• Duct tape
• Colored electrical tape
• Permanent markers
• Dried beans or peas (optional)
• Dry sand (optional)

Instructions

1. 

   Form a circle in the end of the roll of PVC tubing. Hold the circle upright with one edge sitting on the ground. Have your child stand next to the circle. Adjust its height until the highest point is even with the midway point between the child's belly button and the top of the shoulder. Mark where you want to cut the PVC from its roll with a small piece of masking tape.

2. Cut the PVC using a hacksaw or PVC cutter. File or sandpaper the ends to smooth them, and take the piece of masking tape off.

3. Pour 20 to 30 dried beans or peas into one end of the hoop. The beans will rattle around with each movement of the tube. If you prefer a little additional weight in your hula hoop, just pour in about 1 cup of very dry sand.

4. Boil a pot of water, and hold about 1 inch of each end of the tube in the boiling water to heat them. This will temporarily render the PVC ends more flexible and enable to you to more easily attach them to a connector.

5. Work the ends of the PVC tube onto the connector so that the ends meet each other. If you're having difficulty working with the PVC ends, just heat them a little while longer.

6. Seal the seam duct tape created by the ends of the PVC tube.

Tips & Warnings

• Decorate your hula hoop. Wrap the whole thing with colored electrical tape, or use the tape to candy stripe it. Use permanent markers to decorate the tape.