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We know your order is important to you so we strive to ship all orders on the day the order is placed.  

Orders placed by 3:00 pm Pacific Monday - Friday and by 2:00 pm Pacific on Saturday will ship the day the order is received (and payment has cleared) unless we are closed.   We will be closed on Sundays and USPS Holidays.  .

Orders placed after the cutoff might ship the same day but will generally ship the next business day.

If your order has to arrive by a specific date, please select a shipping method that will guarantee shipping time and put a note on your order that the order is a rush.

NOTE:  If there is an issue with a payment, shipping will be delayed until the payment has cleared.

Hoop Wire is made with spring steel so it is, well, springy.  Do not remove the zip ties if you ordered enough hoop wire for more than one hoop.  

For larger quantities, pull the end of the hoop wire back through the zip ties until you have the length you want and then cut it.  Or you can cut a hole in the packaging and with the hoop wire in the packaging and the package securely closed, cut the zip ties through the hole in the packaging and pull the hoop wire from the inside of the roll to dispense it.

You can store your hoop wire in the packaging it was sent in or any container you'd like to keep it clean and dust free.

United States Postal Service (USPS) - Commercial Price Plus rate.  Tracking number always provided except for Sample Cards sent via First Class Mail to the US.  If we can save you money by using flat rate packaging, we will issue a refund for the difference between the actual cost and the amount charged at checkout.  USPS First Class Package does not include any insurance.  USPS Priority and Express shipments include insurance varying from $50 to $200.  Please contact us if you have concerns about insuring the value of your order.

United Parcel Service (UPS) - Discounted Rate.  Tracking number always provided.

DHL Express - Discounted Rate.  Tracking number always provided.

Will Call Customer Pickup - We are located in Santa Ana, CA.  If you are local or will be in the area, please place your order and we will contact you when it is ready to be picked up.  Will Call orders are subject to California Sales Tax.  If Sales Tax is not calculated correctly on the order, a separate invoice will be sent for the sales tax amount.

We do not charge for handling or packaging - we charge you what we are charged.  When possible, flat rate packaging will be used and a refund will be issued if the shipping is less than charged at checkout.

If you have an account with a carrier that you would like to charge shipping to, please place a note on the order with the carrier name and account number.  We will refund the shipping charge.

We will ship almost anywhere.  If your country is not available at checkout then we aren't able to ship there.  Not every carrier ships to the same places so you might want to try another carrier.  If you have any questions, please contact us at john@hoopwire.com and let us know what country you are in.

To calculate duties & taxes, please go to https://www.simplyduty.com.  The HS Code for the hoop wire is 721790.  

Shipping labels and custom forms print automatically for us so we cannot, nor will we, lower the value of package contents on the customs form to help you avoid fees and taxes.

As soon as the shipping label is created, an email will be sent to you with your tracking number and a link to check the status.

All packages are taken to the carrier and hand scanned at the counter.  Tracking information is updated sometime between the item being scanned at the counter and later in the evening, depending upon the carrier.

Sample Cards are sent via USPS First Class Mail and do not have a tracking number.

Because Hoop Wire has spring steel in it, it has give when pushed against and springs back to the shape of the item it is in. Hoop Wire is both strong and lightweight.

Hoop Wire is used to make hoop skirt cages, bustles, panniers, and other foundation pieces that are worn under the skirts in period costumes to define the shape of the skirt.

It is also used in ballet tutu skirts to provide support for the skirt and, with skirt tacking, helps define the shape - sticking straight out from the dancer or angled down - without adding very much weight.

Making a corset?  Hoop Wire can be used for corset boning.

Use Hoop Wire in hats, such as the Mad Hatter hat, to define the shape and to provide support without adding very much weight.

You can find instructions in the How-To section or by clicking here.

Free video from Travis Halsey also has dyeing information here

The polymer coating on the hoop wire and the connectors can be dyed using textile dyes such as Rit Dye, Rit DyeMore, iDye,iDyePoly, and acid dyes.

Test on small pieces to make sure the dye you are using will give the desired results.  Sometimes mixing Rit Dye and Rit DyeMore or IDye and IDye Poly give the best results for some colors.  One such example is black.

Follow all safety and usage instructions on the dye packaging and manufacturers website.   

Stainless steel and unchipped enameled pots are the best as they won't react with acids and it will not release metal ions in concentrations high enough to change the color produced by a dye.

If using an enamel pot, cover any chipped spots with high heat resistant enamel paint and dry thoroughly before using.

Aluminum pots will react to acids which may change the colors produced by some dyes.

I use an teflon coated electric skillet and the dye rack with good results.

All of these types of pots can be found at second hand stores, discount stores, and department stores.

Whatever type of pot you decide to use for dyeing, do not use it for cooking too!

When in doubt, check with the dye manufacturer.

The Dye Rack is designed to hold the Hoop Wire securely so you can safely move the dye rack in and out of the dye pot and while it is being rinsed.  

Thread the Hoop Wire into the dye rack so that the dye bath will flow freely around all surfaces.  Areas where the Hoop Wire is pressed against itself may not dye the same color or at all.

The Hoop Wire has spring steel in it so it will want to jump out of the pot if it isn't contained in some manner.

Cleaning the dye rack with soap and water is easy as it is made from industrial grade 304 stainless steel. 

The Dye Rack is 10" (25.4 cm) long and holds 10' (3 m) of Hoop Wire or more depending upon how tightly it is wound.

Multiple connectors, or taped together spots, will change how the hoop wire behaves, the shape of the hoop, and may not be aesthetically pleasing.  

If the hoop wire is encased in fabric the aesthetics won't matter and as long as the hoop doesn't cause a shape or functional issue then there isn't anything wrong with using multiple pieces of hoop wire to form a hoop.

Cable cutters, bolt cutters, or anything you can find that works for you.

Hoop Wire contains spring steel so kinking isn't a natural property.  

However, if you intentionally want to bend the hoop wire for a specific application, it will bend and hold the shape.  Over bending/kinking may cause the spring steel to break inside of the polymer coating.

The hoop wire can be straightened out but may loose some integrity.

If the costume needs to be cleaned in a washing machine, we recommend taking out the hoop wire so it doesn't get damaged in the washing machine.

If the hoop wire was dyed, rub a wet cloth on the hoop wire to make sure no excess dye is on the surface.  The costume can be hand washed with the hoop wire in it. 

If the costume needs to be dry cleaned, we recommend taking out the hoop wire so it doesn't get damaged in the dry cleaning equipment and chemicals.  However, check with your dry cleaning company for their recommendation as dry cleaning chemicals vary depending upon location.

This information is only applicable to hoop wire manufactured by HoopWire.com.