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How to Make a Kite

Michael Kraus

1. Make a cross shape from two half-inch-thick wooden dowels (24 and 36 inches long), using the shorter one for the horizontal part of the cross.

2. Glue or nail the dowels together and lay them on top of a 36 by 44-inch piece of lightweight fabric.

3. Trim the fabric so it's 1 1/2 inches larger than the shape of the dowels. Fold the fabric in 1-1/2 inches at all four points to make a hem and tack in place. Cut any excess fabric and then glue down the hem.

4. Attach a tack about 3 inches from the center on each of the four cross “arms.” Loop 6 inches of kite string (cut from a spool) around each tack, creating a second cross with the string on the frame. Then tie the strings together to form a knot in the center of the cross.

5. Tie the end of the remaining string on the spool to the knot at the center of the kite. Create a tail using an extra strip of fabric and tack it to the bottom of the kite.