A Garbage Bag Kite

This is a simple project to do with kids. All you need are two sticks, a bag, string and scissors and you have a kite!

You will need: a plastic bag, string, two sticks, scissors and ribbon.

Take the two sticks - they can be garden stakes, dowels, straight twigs, simple skewers tapes together - and tie them together with a piece of string. The cross stick should be tied about one third of the way along the the main stick.

Wrap the string around the back of the main stick and cross the string across the front of the cross stick. Then wrap the ends of the string back around the back of the main stick and make a single knot. Then wrap each end of the string one around either side of the fron tof the cross stick and back again around the back of the main stick. (Does this sound complicated or is it just me? It's really not complicated.) Then make a double knot. Done!

Cut the garbage bag to fit the frame of the kite. Tie the ends of the sail to the wood frame. No need to use glue or tape. Just keep the knots tight!

First, tie a piece of string from one side of the cross stick to the other, leaving slack to form a triangle like shown in the photo. Then, tie the end of a BIG BALL of string to the bottom portion of the main stick, loop under the slack cross string and tie a simple knot at the intersection of the two strings (so it forms a triangular pyramid shape).

Tie lovely ribbons to the end of the kite in order to help balance it. You can even attach a small weight, like a washer, if the ribbons don't seem hefty enough for your kite.

The day I made this kite and had my camera with me, there was no wind. :( So it only got about two feet off the ground. But if you can get a nice field and some gusts going, you'll be in business. The best way to launch the kite is to have friend hold it while you back up slowly into the wind. Have your friend let the kite go and let the string out. OR, you can just hold it and run wildly into the wind! Either way works.