A kite is a beautiful flying machine that is used mainly for art and recreation. It has a number of significant purposes in the past such as power generation, meteorology and military applications. No matter where or when it is used, it makes a remarkable sight — especially if it is there way up in the air. To be able to enjoy such wonderful and fascinating experience, it is good to know how to build a kite.
Tools and Materials Needed
If you wish to make a wonderful kite, you need certain tools and materials to accomplish such moderately easy task. These include scissors, a knife and a ruler. In addition, you must also bring strips of cloth or ribbons, an all-purpose glue and stiff construction paper. Furthermore, be sure to prepare a durable string and at least 2-pieces of dowel rods.
Important Steps to Remember
Get two dowel rods, one of which must be 24 inches long while the other one must be at least 16 inches. In order to be sure of the sizes, measure them using the ruler. Use a knife to mark the longer rod approximately about one-third of its actual length. In addition, mark the shorter rod at the middle part. Place the shorter rod on top of the longer rod. Make sure that they will meet at the two marks you have placed earlier. After this all-important step, the two rods will look like a cross when combined together.
Get the string and then use it to tie the two rods together. Be sure to tie them well because they will serve as the frame of the kite. Get the scissors and then cut off the excess string. At the ends of both rods, create notches where you can tie the strings later. This will give the kite its shape later on. Get some string and then tie it in the notch that is to be found at the top of the frame of the kite. Wind the string all around the top part of the rod. Be sure that the string is well secured. Draw the string towards the edges of the frame. Once again, ensure that the string is tied securely in the notches until the frame is complete.
Put the frame on top of the construction paper. Cut it following the shape of the finished frame. As you cut around the sections of the string, be sure to leave a ½-inch excess of paper. Apply glue to the outer parts of the paper. Fold to enclose the string frame with the paper. The paper and string frame must be glued tightly in place. This will make the kite more durable despite strong winds up in the air.
Get a piece of string, preferably one that is longer than the shorter rod. Tie it at both ends of the rod. Get another piece of string, this time for the longer rod. Just like the other one, this string must be longer than the rod. Find the spot where the two strings overlap. Bind them together with another string and then add the kite string at that point. Put some glue at the bottom of the kite and then gently attach several ribbons.