How to Make a Giant Kite

You can attach tails and line art to make you giant kite seem even bigger.

Stake out your spot on the beach or your pavilion at the park with a giant kite flying overhead, and complete the statement by flying a kite you designed yourself. Kitemaking as a form of self-expression goes back at least to the early centuries AD in China, and huge kites in particular were used centuries earlier to move equipment across gorges and to lift troops for reconnaissance.

Things You'll Need

• 4 lengths fiberglass tubing, ¼ inch diameter, 8 feet in length
• Measuring tape
• Hacksaw
• 8 vinyl endcaps, 1/4 inch
• Ripstop nylon, 1 yard (54 inches) each, in six colors.
• Scissors
• 2 standoff connectors
• 1 grommet
• Grommet setter
• Nylon thread
• Sewing needle
• 500 feet of 300-pound line on a reel

Instructions

Constructing the Kite

1. Cut a six-foot length from one of the lengths of tubing and a four-foot length from one of the others. Cap them and the remaining two eight-foot lengths on both ends to make spars.

2. From the nylon, cut angled pieces, color blocks or striped designs. Sew them together, using nylon thread either by hand or using a sewing machine to make a basic stitch, into a regular right triangle measuring twelve feet along the long edge with a couple extra inches for sewing up. Make a four-foot square from the nylon and double it over, forming a triangle. Sew the edges of the triangle together. Put a grommet through the tip of the triangle, and sew the triangle to the center of the kite on the front so that it sticks off like a fin, stopping six inches short of the top.

3. Cut a two inch wide piece of nylon six feet long. Fold it under to be one inch wide, and sew this piece up the center of the triangle on the back. Sew across the top edge, creating a pocket with the opening at the bottom. Starting at one of the wing tips, sew a long, continuous pocket up the side and down to the other wing tip. Cut out one-inch notches a third of the length of the wing from the nose of the kite.

4. Thread one of the long spars up into either side of the pocket, threading the spreader connectors onto the spars and moving the endcaps as necessary. Thread the six-foot spar into the center pocket. Sew up the bottoms of the pockets using the nylon thread on the wings and in the center to secure the spars.

5. Attach the spreader from connector to connector. Tie on the line using a bowline knot.

Tips & Warnings

• To prevent your kite from getting away from you, anchor it to the ground using one of the screw-in stakes people use for chaining large dogs.

• Bring extra spars and a roll of duct tape when you fly your kite. If it crashes, you will be able to repair it.

• If you think you're going to make a number of kites, you may want to invest in a hot-cutter, which lets you cut and melt nylon at the same time. This prevents frayed edges.

• Check with FAA regulations before flying your giant kite. There are laws against flying large kites too close to airports, or too high in the air. If you are flying after sunset, you may be required to have lights on your kite.

• Large kites exert extreme amounts of pull. Never wrap your fingers, palms, wrists or any other part of your body in the string, even if you are having trouble getting the kite aloft or bringing it down, as this can result in severe injury. You may wish to wear gloves to avoid burning your hand on the line.

• Remember that you are liable for the safety of all people and property in the path of your kite. These are large objects that can move in unexpected directions at high speeds. Don't trust that a square knot will hold in high winds. Don't attach the kite to something light, like an ice chest or a chair. Most importantly, don't attach it to yourself unless you are using a special harness or a weighted pack, and have taken every possible safety precaution.

References

• Kite Making and Flying. Harold Ridgway. 1962.