How to Make a Traditional Chinese Kite

Kite flying is a national pastime in China.

Kite flying is one of China's longest-running national pastimes. Chinese kites were traditionally made from bamboo and silk and---a little later---bamboo and strong, thin, colored paper. Although some of the best kite-makers still use silk, most Chinese kites are made of bamboo and either nylon or tissue paper. To make this simple Chinese kite, use the no-sew paper/bamboo method, which is a traditional form and is also easier and less expensive.

Things You'll Need

• 20-inch square tissue paper
• Scissors
• 1/4 inch willowy bamboo, 18 inches long
• Knife
• Fast-drying paper or craft glue
• 3 lightweight books (or other lightweight objects)
• Bolt of common packing string
• 1-inch dowel rod, 6 inches long

Instructions

1. Fold the 20-inch square tissue paper in half along the diagonal, matching one corner up with its opposite corner. The resulting shape should be a triangle.

2. From the right-angled corner of the triangle, use the ruler to measure in 1 1/2 inches toward one of the other corners (it does not matter which you choose, but choose only one). Mark the measurement with the pencil. Next, use the ruler to measure 1 inch in from the edge of the paper toward the diagonal at three different points along that side, starting from your first pencil mark and going toward one corner. Use the ruler to connect these marks, making a line that is evenly 1 inch from the edge of the paper and goes all the way to the diagonal. The line should not run to the right angle; rather, stop the line by drawing a line from the 1 1/2 inch mark up to the edge of the paper.

3. Keeping the paper doubled, cut along your straight lines. Unfold the paper. The 1 1/2-inch tabs in two opposite corners will become the tabs that are folded over and glued to the bow of the kite.

4. Use your knife to split the dried bamboo into two pieces, lengthwise and down the center. The result should be two pieces that are 18 inches long, flat on one side and round on the other side.

5. Cut two lengths of string, each 18 inches long. Lay the string across the paper---tab-side to tab-side, not triangle-side to triangle-side---one about 9 inches from the top, the other approximately 4 inches from the bottom.

6. Place the backbone with a thin layer of glue (either piece of bamboo) flat side down along the center of the kite, from triangular tip to triangular tip, over the string. Cut two triangular pieces of tissue from the strips that were cut away in step 2. Glue the pieces over the ends of the backbone to reinforce it. Allow it to dry.

7. Place the bow (the other piece of bamboo), flat side down, on top of the backbone about 1 inch above the center of the kite. The bamboo is thin enough that it can be glued to the backbone. Allow the glue to dry.

8. Place a lightweight book on the point where the bow is glued to the backbone. Bend one end of the bow toward its tab. Put a thin layer of glue on the part of the tab that is sticking out from the kite. Fold it over the end of the bow, pressing it into place and making a straight edge. Lay a lightweight book on it and repeat with the other side. Allow it to dry.

9. Once all the corners have dried, remove the weights. Bring the two ends of the top string together, holding them straight above the kite. Wind the strings together, in effect making one string. Lay it down and repeat the process on the bottom string. Lift the wound strings straight up above the kite and knot them together. Make the knot anywhere from 4 to 5 inches away from the kite. A fisherman's knot works well. Cut the excess loose string.

10. Wind the string from the bolt evenly around the dowel rod, or reel. Make sure to leave each end of the rod free of string for hand placement. At the end of the bolt or, if you have sufficient string length, at an earlier point in the process (15 to 20 feet worth of string), stop and knot the end of the reel's string to the previously made knot attached to the string of the backbone. Again, a fisherman's knot works best.

Tips & Warnings

• Buy a strong, thin paper. If the only tissue paper you can find is very thin, it would be better to purchase a thin, strong art paper. Construction paper, on the other hand, is too heavy.

• When splitting the bamboo to create the backbone and the bow, split the bamboo evenly all the way down or you will have to do it again. If preferred, two pieces of round bamboo can be used, but it will make a heavier kite. If the bamboo is not willowy or bendable, you will not be able to make the bow without soaking the bamboo overnight.

• Any type of paper glue will work, but a fast-drying glue is preferred so you can secure all corners as you work, reinforcing them if needed.

• If you would like to simply slide the dowel rod into the center of the bolt of string, rather than wind the string directly onto the dowel, your reel may unwind even faster when it's windy. However, if you're worried that the dowel rod will slip out of the center of the string's bolt, you can fashion end caps to prevent this from happening. In traditional Chinese kite making, the cut-off bottoms of small baskets would be hammered into the end of the rod, or stick; you may be just as innovative in finding a more modern-day solution.

References

• "Kite Making and Flying"; Harold Ridgeway; 1962
• Chest of Books: How to Make and Fly a Chinese Kite

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish