A diamond-shaped kite with streamers soars through the air.
Making even a simple kite from scratch is not easy when considering all the principles and elements that make a kite fly. Kite shapes need symmetry and balance to rise into the sky and maintain stability in flight. The main string attached to the body of the kite must be placed strategically, enabling the kite to travel upward rather than taking a quick dive into the ground.
This project starts with a basic, inexpensive prepackaged kite. Success is assured since kites from kits come balanced and ready to fly. Add ribbons and paint details to make the kite your own special and exotic design. This is a fun project for kids and adults. No one ever gets too old to enjoy the thrill of seeing a homemade kite rise into the sky for the first time.
Instructions
Creating an Exotic Bird from a Simple Diamond Kite
1. Purchase a simple diamond-shaped kite at a craft or hobby store.
2. Find an image of a bird in flight to use as inspiration while you add detail to your kite.
3. Paint the surface of the kite with acrylic craft paint (available at craft and art supply stores) to look like the back of a bird. Paint eyes and patterns for feathers. Your design can be very realistic or abstract, graphic and geometric. You are limited only by your imagination! Allow the paint to dry thoroughly before continuing.
4. Use a clear acrylic spray coating (also available at craft stores) and coat the kite several times lightly to give it a scratch- and water-resistant surface.
5. Cut strips of surveyor's ribbon tape into three- and four-foot lengths. Surveyor's tape is found at building supply and hardware stores and comes in a variety of colors.
6. A kite with a flowing tail catches the eye.
Attach a cluster of the four-foot surveyor's ribbon strips to the bottom point of the kite by wrapping it with pieces of duct tape. This is the long, flowing tail of your bird.
7. Attach clusters of several of the three-foot surveyor's tape ribbons to the points on each side of the kite to create exotic wings. It is important to keep the sides symmetrical (the same amount of ribbons for each) to keep the kite balanced as it flies.
8. Tape more pieces of ribbon along the length of kite string leading from the center of the kite to add variation to your bird design.
9. Don't be afraid to experiment with lengths of tails and wings.
Add strips of lightweight nylon fabric to the tail and wings for more variety. Give the strips a wavy edge as you cut for a different texture. Experiment with tying strips of different colors together to create a truly exotic tail and wings.
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