Make Hoops and Music!

Last summer we made hula hoops, and music.
Maker Faire is coming up. I wonder what new inspiration we'll bring, and come home with!

Where does inspiration begin?

And where will it take you?


In May we went to Maker Faire, and ten feet through the entrance gate we were already fully immersed in Maker Faire fun... namely, the hula hoops. Someone brought giant hoops to share and sell. Have you ever seen them? They are heavier and larger than the typical toy store kind. Whenever I saw them, and the gifted women who were whirrling and twirling in them, I always thought, those must be for good hoopers. It turns out I was not understanding the physics. Hula Hoop physics. Suki is a good hooper, and she was having a great time. Maria picked up a hoop and lo! she was pretty good too! The greater mass of the heavy hoops keeps them in motion, so they are easier to use than skinny-cheapie hoops! I thought this was very promising... and then I thought about all kinds of other things, and sort of forgot all about my future as a stunningly gifted hula-hooper.


::Cody and Tamsyn::

Until... until Elizabeth Mitchell was a guest blogger at Soule Mama, and suddenly I was utterly smitten and captivated by hoops all over again! And this time, I learned that not only are big hoops easier to use, but that they are easy and fun to make at home!

JOY!
Inspiration!
Party.


::Emma is softening the end of the 10' poly pipe by holding it in boiling water::

The video that Elizabeth Mitchell and Storey made is charming and sweet, like their music. I just wish our neighborhood hardware stores were as well stocked as theirs is. I had to visit four stores before finding one that could order the supplies for me.

This is what I bought:
100' of 3/4" Polyethylene Pipe, ideally at least 100 psi, and I wish it were a bit higher and also 1", but what we got works!

10 Internal couplers... they connect the ends of the poly pipe

Duct (Duck) tape and or electrical tape... for prettyness.

This grocery list will get you ten hoops, so call your friends and invite them over. The cost for poly pipe and couplers came to thirty-six dollars... not a big total per happy-hooping friends!

You will also need a pot of boiling water, and pipe cutters. Watch the video... it really is that easy!


::We did figure out that holding the poly pipe in the hot water for at least a minute and then forcefully getting the connector in is key to a good tight fit::


::Always Paradox, Andrea is preparing her hoop::

We basically cut everyone's ten feet long, because I was worried about having enough. I made mine last, and there was plenty extra, so I asked Suki to advise me about the size. Her suggestion is to make it taller than from the ground to your waist. My hoop I measured from the bottom of my ribs, which was a little more than ten feet.


::Cristina came from the beach... she had a total Aloha day!::

One more thing! Rice. For the fun swish-swish-swish effect we funneled in a generous tablespoon of rice. Simple trick with a lovely sound, like a rainstick.


::Emma and Lonnie and Andrea::

I dunno... I seem to make things big. Know what I mean? Like, okay, I want to make a hula hoop, but why not ten hula hoops and friends, then we can play ukuleles, and make shave ice with homemade strawberry and lemon syrups? Big, like that. And why not? Sometimes just sharing with a friend or two makes a simple something, something special.


::Alex went for sweet coffee over his shave ice::

I made strawberry syrup, and lemon syrup... pureed fruit, sugar, water, and sugar. As they say in Hawaii, It was ono. This is a NO DYE zone, and having dye free shave ice is a real delicious treat.


::Jess likes the strawberry::


::Lemon and strawberry for Jesse and Jacob::

::The strawberry syrup tastes like strawberries! Ono!::


::Maria covered her hoop in all kinds of electrical tape colors::


We made our hoops. We decorated our hoops. We played with our hoops. We ate shave ice, and had seconds, too, and then we kicked back. The rest is just memories of hauoli.
















::WOW... Word of the Week: Hauoli means Happiness::