Make Your Own Kite

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After the long, cold winter, the warm weather welcomes us outdoors with sunshine and gentle breezes—perfect weather for kite flying! Kite flying is a relaxing way to fill a couple of quiet hours in the park, at the beach, or in an open meadow. Learning the technique of kite flying is a satisfying experience. But if you’re a do-it-yourselfer, you will find a special satisfaction in actually making your own kite!

Kites come in all shapes and sizes—some of them truly magnificent feats of engineering! But if you’re a first time do-it-yourself kite maker, you’ll probably want to start with a simple design. This is an enlarged model of the "20 minute kite for kids" from the Big Wind Kite Factory in Hawaii. http://www.molokai.com/kites/20kidskites.html

Checklist

• Craft Table
• Lifetime folding chairs
• 1 sheet of brightly colored paper 25.5 inches  wide x 30 inches long
• 1 25 inch wooden dowel for horizontal support
• 1 30 inch wooden dowel for additional vertical support if necessary
• 1 roll 1/2 inch wide tape
• 1 roll of string, 6 - 10ft. long
• 1 inch x 3 inch piece of cardboard or an empty bathroom tissue roll on which to wind the string.
• Scissors
• Hole punch (optional)

Steps

1. Fold paper in half to 25.5 x 15
2. Mark point 1/2 inch from the fold at the top
3. Mark another point 3 inches from the fold at the bottom
4. Draw a diagonal line between these points
5. Fold paper back along this dotted line and tape down the new fold line
6. Then tape down 25 inch wooden dowel between top corner points
7. Tape down 30 inch wooden dowel on the vertical fold for additional structural support
8. Attach 10 feet of ribbon to the bottom of the kite with tape
9. Flip kite over and bend the flap back and forth until it stands straight up
10. Tape a small piece of tape 1/3 of the way down from the top of that flap and punch a hole through it.
11. Tie one end of the string through the hole and wind the rest of the string onto the cardboard or toilet paper roll

Safety Tips

• Never fly your kite around power lines, telephone lines, overhead electrical wires.
• In order to avoid attracting electricity, do not use metal parts in the construction of your kite.
• Do not use fishing line or wire for your kite string.It will cut your hands.
• Do not fly your kite close to streets where it could distract drivers.
• Be aware of your surroundings. Since you will have your eye on the sky, don’t fly near ditches, steep hills, or obstacles that you may trip over.
• Avoid flying too close to trees and other kite flyers.

Instructions Diagram

• Diagram for Kite