How to Make a Hookah

It may prove easier than you think to make a hookah that works adequately. In some countries, it is common to see hookahs used in the street and in homes.

1. First: The main chamber

   Obtain a clean, 2-liter plastic bottle, such as a large soda-pop bottle.

2. Second: Hardware store items

   From a hardware store, obtain a flexible hose made of thin material about 2 to 4 feet in length. Translucent hoses are preferable, and the diameter may range from 1/4 to 1/2 an inch. You also need the kind of doorstop that springs back when you bend it and let go, producing an amusing noise. You may bring your bottle, as the doorstop needs enough size to rest in the mouth of the bottle without falling in. In addition, the doorstop needs to insert into the hose partially, creating an airtight fit.

3. Third: Creating the tobacco loader and attaching the smoking tube

   Cut five inches of hose, and connect it to the doorstop. Set it aside. Insert the remaining larger hose piece into a hole cut into the bottle's side about 3 inches from the top; you may choose to trim this piece shorter. Only about an inch of the hose should project inside the bottle. Chew several pieces of small hard chewing gum tablets, or any chewing gum, and set them onto a plate. Use some of this gum to air-seal the hole in the bottle around the smoking tube which is inserted.

4. Fourth: Finishing the tobacco loader

   Use a 1-inch square of thick tin foil with tiny holes poked with a safety pin, or ready-made metal screens, for the wide opening of the doorstop, creating the "bowl" for loading tobacco. The loader is lowered into the mouth of the 2-liter bottle. The hose piece that hangs from the doorstop is then slightly immersed in water. Smoke is inhaled from the long hose on the bottle's side, and you can simultaneously raise it slowly to generate the pressure. You may also fashion a handle for the loader by twisting a paper clip into a pretzel shape to clip around the doorstop.