HOWTO make your own devil sticks

This article describes the simple process of how to make your own Devil Sticks. The only materials you need are wood dowels and hockey tape, and it should take well under an hour.

MATERIALS:
- Wooden dowels: 4 feet of 5/16" diameter and 2 feet of 1/2"
- Hockey tape: one roll (more for colors)
- A saw to cut the dowels.

Get this stuff at a hardware store (or maybe a sports store for the hockey tape if you don't live in Canada).
materials

STEP 1: Saw vs Dowels
Cut the thick dowel to be 2 feet long. This will be the middle devil stick.

You need to cut 2 pieces of the thinner dowel, the same length. Recommended: 20-24 inches long. (shown above - note I have 2 thick dowel pieces when only 1 is required).

STEP 2: Sticky Tubes
  • Pull down a long roll of tape (don't cut it).
  • Spin the roll so the tape rolls into a tube. Sticky-side out.
  • Wrap the sticky tube along the thick dowel as shown. Cut it off at the end.
  • Repeat this a second time, but reverse the direction so the 2 sticky tubes intersect regularly.



    STEP 3: Exterior Tape
    Wrap the thick dowel with one big piece of tape, only cutting off at the end. You can still just stretch the tape away from its spool a little at a time.


    STEP 4: End Weights
    Wrap some bulbs of extra tape on each end of the middle stick. This provides counter-weight for the devil stick in the air. You don't need too much, start small and test it out.


    STEP 5: Hand Stick Exterior Tape
    Repeat the exterior tape step on both of the hand-sticks. EXCEPT make sure to make small bumps as you tape. Vary the angle you wrap around to get these. This gives you increased friction and better handling.


    finished devil sticks

    STEP 6: Rock your Devil Sticks
    Here's a grainy video of mine in action:



    PS:
    Thanks to my bro for teaching me this years ago.

    Posted by dustin on July 31, 2006 with category tags of

    196 comments
    Looks cool these have been getting more and more pricey over the years . One question What the heck is Hockey Tape?
       comment by novabeatnik on August 1, 2006

    Hockey Tape is a kind of tape that is commonly used on the blade and handle of a hockey stick, to increase its grip (on the puck and on the hands).
       comment by dustin (#1) on August 1, 2006

    Sent here from make zine - just spent a sweaty PA afternoon putting together some for my daughter and me. Thanks!
       comment by dittman on August 3, 2006

    I'm starting a business teaching these sticks to kids and adults. I've been doing the sticks for about 13 years. I was wondering how long are each of the three sticks of yours? How much weight do you add to the ends? Right now I buy mine from a company that makes them and uses rubber.
       comment by Andy Edgar on August 19, 2006

    I just saw in step one how long you say they should be. My bad...Anyway, hope to have the biz up and going soon. Talk to you later.
       comment by Andy Edgar on August 19, 2006

    Good luck with your business. I've found 2 feet long to be a good length for each stick, but you could play around with that. The hand sticks could be shortened somewhat and still be usable.

    If you have some store bought ones you could measure their length also.
       comment by dustin (#1) on August 21, 2006

    wicked..going to provide a juggling toys workshop at festivals in the uk next year as most of the stuff from the stalls are to exspensive to buy for the kids just to play about with. Soon they will be making they're own toys.GREAT
       comment by jonni l b on September 21, 2006

    Wow,these r gr8... Luv 'em... Great Job...
       comment by Marco on October 10, 2006

    We are heading to the Medeival festival again this year and my boys wanted some last year and I didn't buy them (at $40 each almost) but making them ahead of time and taking them with us is a great idea! Thanks!
       comment by Dawn on October 15, 2006

    Just finished my first ones! Took me 3.5 hours, because I made flowersticks instead (those damn tassels were time-consuming). Anyway, thanks for the great idea! Around my parts, the devilsticks in shops cost around 40€.
       comment by Carlos on December 15, 2006

    Great stuff these "DevilSticks"...I made 3 pairs today for my kids and me....
    I wanna learn all the tricks!!!
       comment by Nathalie on June 1, 2007

    EDIT:
    I also used rubber tires to wrap around just like the tape,...more friction.
       comment by Nathalie on June 1, 2007

    where are u from guys?
       comment by Marios-Cyprus on September 23, 2007

    Where can i buy the tap at do they sell it at home depot ??
       comment by julius on September 27, 2007

    The best way to find out is to phone them and ask if they have hockey tape. I'm in Canada, and most big hardware stores here have it.
       comment by dustin (#1) on September 28, 2007

    When you bought the tap did it say hockey tap because i try looking up the tap online and nutting comes out for that kind of tap what does it say on the package?
       comment by julius on September 28, 2007

    Lots of hockey tape available through this google search.
       comment by dustin (#1) on September 29, 2007

    cool stuff cool music. if you can be arsed could you please send me the names of the bands?
       comment by rob uk on January 16, 2008

    the hockey tape dident really work good for me. anything els work well??
       comment by cameron Leamy on February 21, 2008

    You need to get some irregular bumps going in the way you wrap the tape around. Play around with some different angles/techniques. The goal is for it to NOT be smooth. My pictures don't show that very well.
       comment by dustin (#1) on February 21, 2008

    Thanks i went thru like atleast 20 different kinds of tape without much luck. ill give it a shot
       comment by cameron leamy on February 22, 2008

    you are describing making simple flower sticks...genuine devil sticks must have a tapered center piece.

    thanx, & keep jammin',
    bobbylove
    funn & frolic - usa
    4frolic.com
    purveyors of genuine devil stixx(tm) devil sticks
       comment by bobbylove on February 25, 2008

    cool, I just finished mine, but they took quite a while. About 2 hours... The tape I had kept on parting. If it hadn't a parted, I probably could a done it in less than 1.5 hrs... but thanks! Here they cost 30$ plus!
       comment by emily on March 20, 2008

    ok quick question cant find or get any hockey tape any one with good ideas of what i could use? i was thinking a type of duct tape cuz i know you can buy those in multi colors too which would be nice lol?
       comment by Dirtrider92 on April 20, 2008

    Talking with a friend, we thought that bicycle handlebar tape might work well.

    I don't think duct tape would be very good.
       comment by dustin (#1) on April 20, 2008

    how cheap can you get hockey tape for because i saw it online for about 50 bucks a roll?
       comment by Dirtrider92 on April 21, 2008

    also would electrical tape work for making the bumps on the inside?
       comment by Dirtrider92 on April 21, 2008

    Hockey tape should be that expensive. You can get it here for just a couple of bucks.

    Electrical tape should work fine for the inner criss-cross bumps.
       comment by dustin (#1) on April 22, 2008

    Hi,
    I am AMAZED at how great you play! My dad plays, too. He is teaching me how to play too. I can flip them in the air so far, but my devil sticks recently broke. But now, I will make my own, thanks to you!
    -Felix
    P.S. I am ten.
    P.S.S. Iam a girl!
       comment by Felix on May 5, 2008

    TAPE INFO:

    Around America the tape is widely known as ATHLETIC TAPE. It is used in many sports, including Hockey, Football, Lacrosse, etc.

    You can find this kind of tape at just about ANY ATHLETIC STORE and can come in large variety of colors for different custom looks.

    SIZES:

    The Middle Stick can be variety of sizes depending on the height of the individual. An average size of the middle stick can range from 18-24 inches and the 2 Handle Sticks should be roughly 2 inches shorter than the Middle Stick for better control and accuracy.

    ------

    Just some Added info that may help for some. Enjoy.
    BTW, Great Tutorial!
       comment by Paul on May 8, 2008

    these are great, I just made myself a pair of red and white ones for NCSU (North Carolina State University)
       comment by Spencer on May 25, 2008

    your devil sticks arent as cool as folk fests devilsticks yours dont have the cool tire things at the end

       comment by hanna on July 15, 2008

    These look so cool!!!I can't wait to go to Canadian tire and buy the stuff I need I've been begging my dad forever.

    COOL IDEAS
    1. If you have white tape and wanna make your stix extra special you could write words on the tape exp. Jamie's stixx

    2. A guy earlier said he made flower sticks but they took a while for the tassles well he could just have made a big clump of tape then cut it up

    Oh and to hanna we are just here trying (and succesing) to have fun so don't write here just to tell dustin that his stix aren't cool

    Thnx great idea and help
       comment by Nikki stixx on January 10, 2009

    i started playing with devil sticks when i was 12 years old. there was a store on Marco Island, Florida called "marooned on marco" selling the brand "mysticks" ($25) which have a rubber exterior and slightly flexible fiberglass (hollow) interior. THOSE are the best variation of devil sticks. i am 25 now and have made my own out of wood and hockey tape/electrical tape... wood and rubber and duct tape. but over all the BEST are the Mysticks brand. only downside is to mysticks is that the rubber can get a little melty and sticky when temperatures outside are hot and you spin A LOT, and can come off in large chunks (peels away from the fiberglass) but Mysticks DOES sell replacement rubber to coil back over your sticks again!!!
       comment by Remington (Slymee) on January 28, 2009

    read this link bout a year a go they work great but i play so much since then im like a devil stick god now. and they just dont have the grip to do real pro stuff. got any ideas how to perfect them?
       comment by cameron leamy on February 14, 2009

    Will these relly work if they do how good an how long will they last
       comment by stiff lard starter on February 26, 2009

    Yes they really work. They work quite well, and last for years!
       comment by dustin on February 26, 2009

    I have grip tape for gymnastics which helps me grips the wooden bars do u think it could do the same thing
       comment by gymnasticsgrl on March 15, 2009

    Please help..
    I am in europe and cannot find hockey tape..
    Please tell me the best tape to use
    Thank you in advance
    ariel
       comment by ariel on April 8, 2009

    Not the best.but awsome.
       comment by Ryan on April 13, 2009

    This was great to see how to make these! I use devil sticks and my sone wanted to learn. Now I can adjust the size to fit him!! You rock!!
       comment by michelle on May 17, 2009

    If you are just learning to spin, use duct tape. One long strip wrapped lengthwise will do it. We also recycled a t-shirt to make poms for the ends. These sticks are soooo slow that my 7-year-old has figured it out. He says he's "The Master" (whatever that means.) Anyway, he loves 'em!
       comment by Stephanie on June 19, 2009

    try useing rubber and sillicone tape from any diy shop and you paint the wood dowl with a desighn first then wrap it round its the same as sure grip on lunastix ps thanks the info ive been playing with flower stixs since i was 16 now im 25 lol keep the info coming also try aluminiom in the core instead of dowl
       comment by james on July 15, 2009

    sweet! but how did you get the finished results with the stripes on it if you just left it with the white?
       comment by Grace on August 24, 2009

    Thru the years I have found that tennis handle grip tape works the best.I have made many pair tapered and plan on making many more.
       comment by jeff kasper on September 27, 2009

    great idea man, good stuff. i heard tho that for the measurements of the hand sticks its from the crease in your elbow to the middle of the palm of ur hand, and then twice that for the flower stick itself. this is meant to give you a nice length specific to u.
    great job tho cheers!
       comment by Brian on November 30, 2009

    thx for the info. older bro just got a pair for xmas and i was mad so bought the stuff to make one
       comment by Jentzen on January 9, 2010

    ok well hoq do you find the little flower thing thatyou should put on it
       comment by anonymous on January 20, 2010

    my wife was really struggling to replicate some we saw at a fair for my nieces, thanks for the great tips!
       comment by Neil on January 21, 2010

    Grip tape from a skate shop works really well
       comment by Seany on February 6, 2010

    From time to time, scholars want to know the keys of productive essays online accomplishing. Your solid outcome about this good post will be a right basis for that people. I get know that even buy essay service uses such releases as a body for the research papers for sale. Thence, your writing skillfulness is very useful for people society.
       comment by arcono37 on April 20, 2010

    you guys are going about it all wrong. i use rubber tape to wrap my stix overlapping about an 1/8" all the way down. 1/4" fiberglass tent tent pole works really well for the main stick. wood for the other two. and i use a 2"x24" piece of leather w/ tassles cut in it. glue gun and colored elec. tape for flare. total cost(not including tent pole) $6.
       comment by brett on April 20, 2010

    what i meant to say was this is what works best for me. i've tried everything over a period of 20 yrs. I sell mine for $20-$30 depending on the tassel (upholstery fabric/leather) and main piece( wood/fiberglass).
    wood for the main piece is good too, but be careful when you kick it, they break easy. good for beginners.
       comment by brett on April 20, 2010

    I just made some for my little sister. They work perfect and really look the part! I did use some different stuff. I went to a bikeshop (I live in the netherlands, lots of those around!) and got old innertubes for free. Then I bought some thin, strong, PVS tubes and cut them to size. I wrapped the old cut-up tube around it and added tassels to the end. Than decorated the flowerstick with some colorful tape.....the endresult looks store bought! All the material cost me less than 10 euros and I got lots left to make more!
       comment by Anne on May 29, 2010

    i luv these things!!!!!!!! thanks this iz very helpful. i cant buy them were im frum so im goin to make-em!

    Thank you.........
    Jeffrey
       comment by Jeffrey on June 9, 2010

    Great forum! I’m starting my own business as well so I really shouldn’t say anything but I use fiberglass rods for all 3 sticks, cut leather to form tribal designed ends, and a combination of glues, leather strips, silicone tape, and rope for frictional bases.
    If you are making true devil sticks, all you need is hardened dowel rods and tape of any kind. The tape needs to form an hourglass shape and the sticks themselves are more based on skill and less on friction.
    Flower sticks on the other hand are much easier to use but far harder to create. When most people think devil sticks, these are the ones that usually come to mind. The shafts can be straight but as others have stated, friction alone isn’t enough if you can’t afford to pick up surgical tubing to coat them. I have been searching for years to find another type of material but silicon tape used for tennis rackets, baseball bats, hockey sticks, etc is the cheapest and easiest to find. Duct or electric tape isn’t tacky enough to cause enough pull. Have fun and good luck.
       comment by stephen michael on November 10, 2010

    Thanks for great ideas. Teaching circus skills as part of after school activity program for kids. Would be great to make them with the kids.
       comment by Cheryl Harris on April 22, 2011

    Hi! Thank you so much for creating this How-To! Now I probably will not have to spend 45$ on Devil Sticks! I must say, you are quite talented! Keep on practicing, and I hope to see more of your How-To's!

    With glee,
    -Skylight400
       comment by Skylight400 on August 13, 2011

    Hey, thanks for the tips! Mine are made with rubber and they're a bit different, but this is good advice :)
    Greetings from Estonia
       comment by Smurfer on August 14, 2011

    i like it its realy cool but does it work as good as a real one
       comment by turan on October 9, 2011

    EXTRA INFO: Hockey Tape in North America is widely known as Athletic tape and it can be found in every sports store.
    TIPS: Through trial and error, i found that the main devil stick was best at around 26 inches and best results came when quite a bit of weight was added at the end of the stick, not just a little.
    ALTERNATIVE:I found that the best homemade devil stick/flower stick was when I took a 24 inch dowel (7/16" diameter) and two 20 inch (5/16 diameter) and wrapped a cut up bike tube around all the stick. it had amazing grip. Then, I putmore weight on the end in the form of rubber flowers (hence the name Flower stick) there are tutorials online on how to do this. my first one came out amazing. All of this was essentially free (assuming you can get free old bike tubes at your local bike shop.) all i paid was 2 dollars for the dowels.
    Source: Youtube.com has a video names "Constuccion devilstick" look it up and follow the instruction>

    Hope I could help!
       comment by Ryan on October 28, 2011

    wow..i had no idea you were so young! haha, i just mean you seem so experienced and skilled already to be only one year out of college. i am in school for design right now, with about a year and a half to go. thanks for the tips and insight!
       comment by Gartner Holte on April 5, 2012

    Couldn't be written any better. Reading this post reminds me of my old room mate! He always kept talking about this. I will forward this article to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thanks for sharing!
       comment by druk wizytówek on April 20, 2012

    Hey guys I stumbled across this thread and felt like adding. I over the last 3-4 yrs have made close to 100 sets. These are addictive, fun and pretty much anyone can get the hang off making them and juggling them. like previously stated lenghts of the sticks are ones personal preference. You can use all sorts of different materials but texture for a bit of grip is crucial.
    A few suggestions that may work for someone building their first set 1 wrap double sided carpet tape around the sticks (warning- careful while handling at this stage and placing it down) 2 wrap twine arond like a candy cane from one end to the next and then again in opposite direction if done neatly you will get a daimond design 3 try some fabric over the twine and tape ( suede is one of my favs ) and go from there. Hope these tips can help. have fun everyone.
       comment by Courtjester on June 11, 2012

    Great steps bro .. and for the film features negative nancy... I'm a festy regular and instead of paying 40$ at a show much better to spend less than 5 and make ur own... My step son uses bike innertubes and wraps the creased with elec tape.
       comment by blaine on July 25, 2012

    You totally rock dude! Seriously! This is PERFECT for Christmas gifties.
       comment by MandyK on November 29, 2012

    I tried to purchase a large amount of flower sticks but there was no way to get them in time so I'm thinking about mas producing and selling them at block party's in ny on the weekends. I happen to like the silicone rubber tube that's being used on the sticks that I got from five below. My question is what type of tubing is it that there using is it heat shrink and if not how do they get the dowels in the tube
       comment by Jeremy on August 29, 2014

    Rubber tape works great.
       comment by anonymous on November 10, 2014

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