You’re one adult-sized hula hoop away from being a hooper.
The real question is whether you make it yourself or buy one. Both are genuinely good options, it just depends on what you’re actually looking for.
Making your own hula hoop: the pros
- You control the exact size, built specifically for your body, not a generic standard.
- You decorate it entirely in your own style, colours, patterns, all of it.
- You can make extras for friends once you’ve got the hang of it.
Making your own hula hoop: the cons
- Your first hoop probably won’t be perfect. A professional hoop maker can talk you through the right pipe and size for your body, something that’s genuinely harder to judge on your own the first time.
- If you only want one hoop, buying is ussually faster and maybe cheaper. Making your own often means buying materials in bulk, plus a few tools you’ll only use once if you’re not planning to make more.
- Taping a hoop well takes practice. Your first one is unlikely to look as clean as your third. That’s normal, not a sign you did it wrong.
Fresh tutorials, if you want to make your own
Hoopologie have a whole hoop making university! Highly recommend
What you’ll actually need
Tubing. Available at hardware stores, specialty hoop suppliers, or online. Always check the tubing size matches your connectors before you buy, this trips up a lot of first time hoop makers.
Connectors. These join your tubing into a closed hoop. Sizing has to match your tubing exactly, so it’s worth confirming with the seller if you’re not certain.
A pipe cutter. Doesn’t need to be expensive, just needs to give you a clean, even cut.
Hoop tape. This is genuinely the fun part. Grip tape, gaffer tape, patterned decorative tape, even UV reactive tape if you want a hoop that glows. This is where your hoop becomes your sparkling dance partner.
A measuring tape, so you can actually hit the size you’re going for.
Where to buy tools and tape
Hardware stores carry basic tubing and pipe cutters. For hoop specific tape, connectors, and pre cut tubing, dedicated hoop suppliers like Hoopologie carry everything in one place and are genuinely built for this exact purpose, worth checking their current range directly rather than relying on old links that may have moved.
If you’d rather just buy one, ready-made
Here is a link to hoop sellers that is being updated
Made your own? Show me
If you do make your own hoop, tag me on Instagram @deannelovexo and use the hashtag #hooplovers so I can actually see it.
Now the important part: learning to hoop
Once you’ve got your hoop, whichever way you got it, the real work begins. Start with the free 7 Day challenge or browse the full course library to find your starting point. Any hoop you’ve made or bought works for this, you don’t need anything fancy to start, just the right size.
