How to Make a Sky Bird Kite

Kites are enjoyed by people of all ages and many people make their own kites at home 1. Kites can be made from a wide variety of materials, though plastic sheeting and wooden dowels are commonly used and are readily available and easy to work with for beginning hobbyists 1. Designs for hand made kites are only limited by the creator's imagination. A sky bird kite can be made to resemble a soaring bird such as a hawk or an eagle. The bird kite is a simple adaptation of the classic diamond shaped kite.

Place the plastic sheet over a cutting mat. Use the fine tip marker and draw an overhead view of a bird soaring. The wings should span the 36-inch wide portion of the plastic.

Cut along the marker lines with a craft knife to completely cut out the sky bird shape.

Cross the dowels over each other and perpendicular to each other so that they intersect in the centre. Fasten the dowels together by wrapping craft wire around the joint. Twist the wire tight with needle nose pliers. Clip the excess wire off with the cutter on the pliers. This is the kite frame.

Align the dowels over the plastic kite outline. Poke holes every three inches on either side of the dowels with a pencil tip.

Slide a wire tie through each hole and pull the tie tight to the dowel in order to secure the plastic sheet to the frame.

Drill a 1/16-inch hole through the dowel at the front of the kite, or at the head of beak of the bird, and thread the kite string through the dowel. Tie-off the string.

Paint the details of the bird onto the plastic sheet. Include details such as eyes, wing feathers, tail feathers, talons and beak. Allow the paint to dry before use.

Tips

For a more durable kite, use a light sheer fabric in place of the plastic.

Warnings

Wear eye protection when operating a drill. Cut away from yourself when using a craft knife.