Art Ideas for Kites

You can decorate kites in a variety of patterns.

Kites are entertaining for people of all ages and can be an educational and rewarding craft for youth. Making a kite that will fly simply requires following instructions in a book or on the Internet. After you've built the kite, there are several ways to decorate it.

Rainbow

A rainbow-designed kite is one of the simplest designs, but also one that is commonly seen because of its beauty. The different colors in the kite will catch the sunlight and make this style of kite stand out against the sky. To design it, trace equally-spaced lines throughout the kite (and tail, if you so desire) with a pencil and ruler. Once the lines are straight and uniform, color between each line in a different color. To appear like a true rainbow, the colors should appear in a grade -- red, orange, yellow, green, blue then purple.

Face

Adding a face to your kite will give it personality and make it come to life. Faces can be done simply or with great creativity, but the key is to ensure the kite remains aerodynamic. In other words, don't sacrifice the kite's performance for its appearance by adding heavy elements. At its simplest, you can draw a face design onto the kite in marker or with acrylic paint. Those who are more creative may wish to glue googly eyes and yarn to represent hair onto the kite. Remember to make the face as large as possible to ensure you can see it from the ground.

Flag

If you're the patriotic sort, or simply wish to honor your country or state, try to recreate its flag onto your kite. Use either paint or markers. To begin, use a ruler and pencil to draw a sketch of the flag onto your kite. Once you are happy with the sketch, begin to trace the lines in marker or paint. If you're building a variety of kites with a group of kids, try designing each kite in the flag of a different country.

Bird

Bird designs look best on kites that have large "wings" on either side. Like adding a face to your kite, you can be as creative as you'd like with a bird design. If you want to keep it simple, coloring the kite in the color of your favorite bird and adding eyes and a beak will suffice. If you're more creative, you may wish to glue colored feathers to the kite, as well as paste googly eyes and draw a yellow beak.

References

• Kites on a Roll: Kite Decorating Tips
• Craft Ideas: Paper Kite Decoration
• Kinder Art: Brown Bag Kites