DIY Kids Kite Craft + Printables

It can be a struggle to get the kids out of the house, especially in the summer. We’ve all tried weird and creative ways to get them outside and moving around, but usually within 20 minutes it's back to the couch and electronics. Fine! Challenge accepted.

One thing I’ve found to work getting the kids involved is making some crafts. Better yet, crafts that can be used outside. I’m talking about DIY kites! Let your big kids help craft them (there is some minor sawing necessary), and the little ones decorate. Getting children involved in the creation process of their very own craft will help them feel a sense of pride and ownership of the final product! They’ll be excited to go play.

To get started with some inspiration, begin with these printable kite decorations from Personal Creations. Have your kids choose from the goofy faces, ocean critters like stingrays and octopuses, or funny sayings.

If your kids like painting like mine do, let them add their own designs! Use crayons, glitter, stickers, whatever else they like. Have them decorate the paper before making the kite so they have a flat surface to create.

Alright, here are the steps to making the rest of the kite.

You will need:

• Two ¼ inch wooden dowels 
• 36 inch wide sheet of paper 
• Masking tape
• Roll of twine (at least 65 ft long)
• Ruler 
• Measuring tape
• Pencil 
• Hand saw 
• Kite printables + other decorations

Step 1: Cut your wooden dowels with the saw, one to 24 inches long and the other to 33 inches.

Step 2: With the saw, make divots in the end of your dowels. Later on, the string that holds the outside of the kite together will rest in these divots.

Step 3: Make a mark 11 inches from the top of your long (33”) dowel. Place the shorter (24”) dowel across the mark to make the “t” shape.

Step 4: Use the twine to wrap the dowels where they meet. You can reinforce this with hot glue if needed.

Step 5: Tie one long piece of twine from one end of every dowel to the next, making sure it lies in the divots at the end of each dowel. This will make the diamond shape. Again, reinforce these if necessary.

Step 6: Lie the kite frame over your children’s decorated paper and trim, leaving a 2 inch border on all sides.

Step 7: Fold in the corners and secure with tape. Then, fold the rest of the edges and tape those down too.

Step 8: Cut a piece of twine 24” long. Cut holes in the top and bottom angles of the kite, then tie each end of the string into the holes. This brindle string helps shape the kite to catch the wind.

Step 9: The flying string should be 5 times the size of your kite, so in our case 160 inches long. Tie this string to the middle of the brindle string.

Step 10: Add any additional ribbons or bows to the string and get flying!

For additional tips and helpful GIFs, visit Personal Creations to get the completed tutorial!