How to Make a Recycled Plastic Bag Kite

On a windy day, there’s nothing more fun than flying a kite. But have you seen the prices on some of them? Kite flying can be quite an expensive hobby! Even the small, simple ones seem to cost more than they should.

If you want a kite but don’t want to pay a lot for it, you can easily make your own at home. Here’s how to do it:

Supplies

Plastic shopping bag
Scissors
Pen
Two flexible wooden sticks
Scotch tape
Ball of twine

Instructions

1. Lay the plastic bag on a hard surface and smooth it out flat. Fold it in half so that one handle is on top of the other, and smooth it out as much as possible.

2. Draw a line across the bottom of the bag, just above the bottom folds. Draw another line from the center of that line to the center of the bag, and draw another line from the center of the bag slanting up to the folded side of the bag at about a 45-degree angle.

3. Cut along the lines you drew. When finished, unfold the trapezoid-shaped piece.

4. Cut one of the sticks to the length of the kite from top to bottom. Center it carefully, and tape it in the center and at the tip. Stretch the plastic gently but firmly, and tape the stick at the bottom.

5. Place the end of the other stick on the left corner of the kite, slanting the stick upward. Tape the end to the corner.

6. Carefully bend the stick into an arch, making sure the arch is small enough that it doesn’t go over the edges of the kite. Tape at the other corner, and trim any excess.

7. Cut four strips of plastic from the scraps, making each about a foot long. Or, if you prefer, you could cut strips out of a bag of a different color.

8. Tie the strips together to make a tail. Tape it to the bottom of the kite at the center.

9. Cut a piece of twine about a foot long. Tie one end to one side of the bent stick, and the other end to the other side. This forms the kite’s bridle.

10. Poke a hole at the bottom of the kite, near the tail. Run the end of the twine through the hole, from the front to the back. Pull the bridle taut to form a triangle shape, and tie the end of the string to it.

11. Pull out as much twine as needed to fly your kite. For best results, do not cut the twine off of the ball.

12. Take your kite out on a windy day and try it out!

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