INSTRUCTIONS
You will need:
- A sheet of A4 paper
- Sticky tape
- Masking tape
- A skewer or thin stick approx 25 cm long
- Hole punch
- 3 m length of strong but lightweight string or twine
- Tissue paper
- Glue stick
- A pencil
- Scissors
- Glue stick or paper glue
- A length of elastic (around 30cm) or two 25cm pieces of string or ribbon
How to make it:
- Print out or refer to the diagram sheet.
- Fold your A4 paper exactly in half so the two short edges meet (stage 1 on the diagram
sheet). Decide now whether you would like a kite-shaped kite or whether you would like to cut it into a bird shape using the template on the diagram sheet. If you’d like a bird, cut it at this stage while it’s folded so you get two identical sides. (You could try your own variations to make a butterfly or other winged creature.) - Take the folded edge and fold it again more diagonally this time so that the corners of the fold just poke over the edge (diagram 2). This is the trickiest part to work out but it doesn’t have to be exact. Open up this last fold keeping the first fold together so that you have a kite shape (or bird shape) in front of you (diagram 3). Use sticky tape to stick down the middle of the kite so it doesn’t come unfolded.
- Use sticky tape to stick the skewer or stick horizontally from corner to corner (diagram 4), this is the spine of your kite which will keep it rigid.
- Turn your kite over. Find the place which is about one third of the distance from the thin end of the wedge (diagram 5). Put some tape to overlap this part and using a hole punch, make a hole to thread the string through and tie in a loop. The tape is there to reinforce the paper so it doesn’t rip when you’re flying your kite.
- Now for the tail which will help it fly. Make tissue paper streamers by folding the sheet in half across the short length over and over again so that you have a folded sheet that looks like a tube by the end. Cut across the short edge in a curve every 4cm or so (diagram 6). When you open up these cut pieces you should have long wiggly tissue paper streamers. You need at least one to make it fly but you can add as many as you like to your design. Use a glue stick to stick your streamers on to the narrow edge of your kite.
TIP: If you prefer straight streamers you can cut straight across – or you can experiment with different cuts for different shapes. At this stage you can use pencils/pens/collage to make designs on your kite. Remember not to make it too heavy and that it needs to be double-sided because when you’re flying it you will be looking at the underside.
- Go outside on a windy day to a place where there are no overhead cables or branches, run around and fly your kite!
Warning: NEVER fly a kite near overhead cables and beware of tree branches that your kite could get tangled in. A reminder that younger children using scissors must be supervised.



