Craft: Making a kite

Materials:

• 2-to-3-mm-wide basket-weaving reed (available at craft or art supply stores)
• Scissors
• One spool of strong, thin string
• Thin plastic tablecloth
• Marker
• Double-sided carpet tape
• One sheet of coloured vinyl with a sticky backing
• 15-cm wooden dowel (must be narrow enough to fit through the centre of your spool)

Measure and cut your reed to lengths based on the diagram (below left). Tip: Soak reed in water for 10 min to make it more flexible.

Use the reed to form the kite’s frame. Tie your reeds together with string wherever it’s marked with a cross on the diagram.

Lay the tablecloth down on a flat surface and place the frame on top of it. Use a marker to trace around the frame leaving a 2.5-cm border on all sides. Remove the frame and cut it out.

Apply tape to the tablecloth along the border, just outside of the frame. Fold the plastic around the reed and firmly press together.

Measurements
Blue: 182 cm
Orange: 213 cm
Green: 91 cm

Cut out vinyl shapes as eyes, stripes or a smile. Cut the excess tablecloth into strips and tape to the body to make a tail. Tie a string to the middle reed on the back of your kite. Slip the dowel through the spool and let it soar.