How To Make Kites

“I often sit and wish that I

Could be a kite up in the sky,

And ride upon the breeze and go,

Whichever way I chanced to blow. ”- Anonymous

Since ages, yearning for freedom has been expressed through the metaphor of kites, birds, and wind. In India, come Independence Day and the blue sky becomes all lively, with varied shapes and colors of kites. Not only in India, all over the world, kite flying symbolizes freedom. When Taliban rule ended in Afghanistan, kites soared in free air with pride. Not only limited to expression of freedom, kite flying has been a popular source of pleasure and entertainment as well. Bright summer evenings, crowded terraces, zealous ‘patangbaaz’ - this is a common sight in Indian localities. From time immemorial, man has had the fascination to fly. It was this desire only that led to the invention of kites in China. For thousands of years, Chinese have believed that kite flying fights bad luck.Even those who don't believe this find kite flying an inexpensive and a great pastime. And making the kites at home adds to the fun! You'll be proud to see you creation soaring high in the sky! Here are a few tips that will help you know how to make kites.

Making A Kite At Home (Diamond Shape)

What You Need

1 big sheet of Colored Paper
2 thin Sticks (one stick three feet long, the other two feet long)
Glue
1 roll of Strong Thread
A pair of Scissors

How To Make

Make a cross using the sticks. Place them in such a way that the shorter stick is one-third of the way down the longer stick.
To join the two sticks, tightly tie a string around the joint.
Next, knot the string and cut it.
Apply glue on the string and let it dry. It’s a good way to ensure that the joint is strong.
Cut a notch at each end of the sticks. Make the notch deep enough for the string to fit in.
Slot the string into the notches and pull it tight, all the way around.
Now, knot the two ends of the string together.
Next, put the frame of the kite on the colored paper.
Cut the paper larger than the size of the frame, all the way around.
Now, cut away the corners.
Bend the edges of the paper and cover the string and frame.
Stick them firmly with glue.
Cut a piece of the string up to the length of two sides of the kite.
Around the top of the spine, tie one end of the string.
Now, make a loop, one-third of the way down the string and knot it.
Tie the other end of the string to the bottom of the spine. Cut off extra string, if any. This will give you the kite's bridle, the string to which the flying line is attached.
Make the tail of the kite. Start with measuring and cutting a string, which is five times as long as the kite.
Cut some more paper into small strips of 2x3 inches.
Tie the strips onto the string, eight inches apart.
Next, tie one end of the tail to the bottom of the kite.
Tie the kite line to the loop. Your kite is ready!
Decorate your kite using paints, crayons or cut beautiful shapes like butterflies and paste it on kite body.
Yippee, your kite is ready to soar high in the sky!

How to Cite

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