Build your own poi

Ever wanted to start learning poi but dont want to spend a fortune on some factory made poi? Well now you can make your own with this easy instructable.
You will need:
2 tennis balls
2 bolts
2 wing nuts
2 ordinary nuts that fit your bold
2 washers (optional)
assortment of cable ties
2 lengths of chord twice the length of your arm

Incase you haven't already noticed this is for making a pair of pois so you will need to carry out each step twice.

Tools are:
pliers
drill or spike
scissors

Step 1 Ball preperation

Take your ball and mark two points directly opposite eachother.
Then drive your drill or spike through these 2 points to make a hole for the bolt to go through.

Comments

[ahenderson7]

Can't you show a picture of what it looks like :(

[tcollins2]

in my opinion, not trying to knock ur idea or anything, but would a small eyehook bolt with nut work better?

[Thelonelysandwitch]

what is a poi????????????????????

[Sir-Jackington]

A very interesting and good Instructable. I am extremely interested in poi, I like watching people perform and I always did mean to learn how to do it but I have the problem of long hair and fire not mixing.

[mattbeddow]

Yeah fire poi isnt the best idea for yourself, but these ones should be ok. i haven't had any of these burst into flames while im using them yet:P

[Rishnai]

I hear you can solve that problem by poking a hole in them and stuffing them full of stike-anywhere match heads. :P

[Corin]

Something alot easier to use is to find a pair of tall socks or stockings and just stick a tennis ball in the end. it still hurts a bit for people that are just learning to spin but it works great!

[eric4435]

I made my practice poi out of two lengths of rope, each with a monkey's fist at one end. They hurt though.

[harryman]

well, um it seems to be like a neutered sling...except the pouch is a ball, and you let go of the whole thing... slings are amazing btw check out slinging.org if you are ever urged to make mid evil projectile weapons.

[mattbeddow]

fyi poi are not weapons of any sort and you do not through them. Poi are usedas a sport where they are span round in fancy patterns. Google POI for more info.

[kittensox]

These are beautiful.. You may want to include that the poi are dummies and should NOT be ignited!! Personally, I think practicing with the wingnuts in them is going to produce some fine injuries. If you are a beginner you are gonna smack yourself constantly. You can do it with just the ball and cord. Or better yet, make bean-bag dummy poi.

[chuckr44]

This doesn't look anything like the food made from dried fish and arrow root flour I ate in Hawaii.

[duct tape]

:)

[CanDo]

Simply using an eye-bolt would greatly simplify things, but the tennis ball idea is great :)

[mattbeddow]

I realy wanted to use eyebolts but upon rumaging through my garage I could only find one that was big enough and it was raining so i didn't want to go buy any more so i came up with the wing nut idea. And thank you. A friend surgested it to me after he bought a factory made set and they then fell appart and had a tennis-like ball inside.

[Tool Using Animal]

What's a poi?

[mattbeddow]

I dunno if that is the real name for them i just call them that as i can't find the real name for it

[adamazing]

Poi on wikipedia
Girl in traditional maori dress at Auckland Museum

The above link explains the origins of poi. My girlfriend's a kiwi and she took me to the Auckland museum, where they have girls performing with poi and men performing the haka.

She told me that when they were in school, learning about maori culture they made practice poi out of balled up carrier bags (polythene bags). I imagine those would hurt a little less than tennis balls and wing-nuts if you got it wrong.

[mattbeddow]

You can maye them outa other stuff but they surprising dont hurt (yourself) much as the bit that tends to hit you is the side of the ball which bounces and is softer because the air can escape through the two holes

[IlluminatedAntichrist]

How do you use this thing?

[mattbeddow]

look at this website.
its gr8 for learning how to do poi. i use it alot.
http://www.homeofpoi.com/lessons_all/teach/3_0_0

[CanDo]

How long will this last?

[mattbeddow]

well ive been using mine now for a few weeks and they are still in good condition, ive had to put the nut back on sometimes when it has unscrewed but a bit of thread fixing stuff should sort it