Simple Kite Directions
You can make a simple kite from materials you may already have at home. Challenge your children to make their own kites and decorate them before heading to the backyard or park for a kite-flying competition. Recycle wrapping paper, old maps, plastic bags, butcher paper or the Sunday funnies into a toy that encourages creativity and healthy outdoor activity. If an untimely crash destroys your creation, you can easily make another.
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Things You'll Need
- 1/4-inch dowel, 30 inches long
- 1/4-inch dowel, 20 inches long
- Kite string
- Scissors
- Knife
- Paper
- Glue
- Paint brush or sponge
- Cotton rags
- Adhesive tape
Instructions
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1
Form a cross with the two pieces of dowel. The shorter dowel should intersect the longer dowel one-third of the distance from the top of the longer dowel. Tie the two dowels together with a 6-inch piece of kite string. Knot the string diagonally around both dowels in one direction and then in the other.
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2
Make a notch in the ends of each dowel with the knife. The notch only needs to be as deep as the width of the kite string.
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3
Tie a knot in the end of the kite string. Slip the kite string into the notch at the top of the long dowel. This is the top of your kite. Pull the string until the knot stops it from moving further. Unwind more string and secure the string in the notch on the right side of the shorter dowel (the crossbar). Continue unwinding string and catching it successively in the notches on the bottom and left sides of the kite. Bring the string back to the top of your kite and knot the string to the top of the kite. Cut off excess string. You should now have a diamond shape consisting of the dowel crossbars and string.
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4
Lay the kite frame onto your paper and cut the paper into a kite shape that's about 2 inches larger on all sides than your kite frame.
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5
Apply glue to the edges of the paper. Use a paintbrush, sponge or your fingers to smooth the glue in a thin layer from the edge of the paper in a 1-inch-wide band.
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6
Fold the paper around the string and smooth down to glue in place. Keep the paper taut. Allow the glue to dry.
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7
Cut another piece of kite string 2 feet long. Tie one end of this string to the bottom of your kite.
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8
Tear rags into strips approximately 6 inches long and 1 inch wide. Knot one of these strips where the kite joins the string and others every 5 or 6 inches along the string. This is your kite's tail.
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9
Cut a piece of kite string 10 inches long. Tie the string to either side of the crosspiece, 4 inches from the center on either side. This is your kite's heel.
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10
Tie the free end of the rest of your kite string to the center of the heel.
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1
Tips & Warnings
You can also use plastic surveyor's tape for the tail of the kite.
If you don't want to glue the paper around the kite, use painter's tape or masking tape.
Always keep your kite away from overhead power lines.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit kite image by Sergey Drozdov from Fotolia.com
