How to Add Grip to Hoop Clothes
In this episode of Lansing Hoops T.V., I show you how to add grip to your hoop clothes. Bonus! I’ll also show you how to turn that awesome new grippy shirt into a spider witch costume for Halloween.
Now that it’s getting colder, hoopers everywhere are having to learn how to hoop with long sleeves and pants to keep warm. This can make for a very slippery situation, if you know what I mean.
Until you get the hang of it, this tutorial will show you how to add grip to your hoop clothes to help keep that hoop up until it gets warmer outside.
What You Need:
- Fabric Paint – any fabric paint that dries “puffy” or raised off the shirt.
- T-Shirt – any shirt that is compatible with your fabric paint will work. This is a perfect time to upcycle an old t-shirt into something new and fun.
What You Do:
1. Test fabric paint for color and grip.
Paint a small strip on the inside edge of one sleeve. Wait for it to dry to make sure you like the color. It should be raised off the shirt slightly. If it feels painted on, it may not work for this project.
2. Shake bottle to mix color and to get out air bubbles.
Fabric paint tends to separate in the bottle. Give it a nice hard shake before you start to make sure the color is evenly distributed. This also helps remove air that’s trapped inside the bottle. Air bubbles can cause big blobs of paint to squeeze out at the wrong time.
3. Make design.
Decide what type of pattern or picture you want to add to your hoop clothes. When you start, gently squeeze your paint bottle to remove any air bubbles.
4. Let your shirt dry.
Follow the directions on the bottle before handling your shirt. Fabric paint takes time to cure! You might think it’s dry, but when your hoop starts hitting against the pattern over and over again, your “dry” paint will start to flatten and get all mucked up.
To make the spider web design from the video, start by adding your base web lines. These lines intersect in a star burst shape. Add as many or as few as you like. They can be symmetrical or uneven (just like a real spider web).
Once your base web is drawn, add scallops between the bottom of the base lines to form the outside of the spider web. Then connect the inside of the base lines with more half circles. Not all of these lines need to match up. Some lack of uniformity adds flare.
To make the spiders, add a small circle for the head and a larger circle for the body. Add 8 legs.
* Expert Tip: place newspaper or another barrier between the two layers of your shirt so that the fabric paint doesn’t bleed through to the other side.
To Make the Spider Witch Costume:
Pair your new Halloween spider web shirt with leggings and a fall colored 
skirt. Add striped socks or tights and black heels or another pair of witchy shoes. A cute witch hat and this spider web cape complete the look.
Now that you know how to add grip to hoop clothes, get out there and enjoy the fall weather! Cold weather hooping never felt so good!
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