Hello Parkin fans!
This weeks Dear Diary is going to be a little different. As you may know, (should know more like!) I am a fan of kites and have been amassing a vast and exciting collection. As fun as it is to spend time on my favourite kite forum and receive special kite-based packages in the post, sometimes you just want to get your hands dirty. This, apparently, is what compels Vicky to take my friends to pieces or to stab hair into their head over and over but quite frankly I don't think there is ever an excuse for that. Anyway, as I was saying, sometimes you just want to get involved in your favourite hobby and today I have decided to show you my super-secret special kite making technique. It's easy I promise. Even Big Ol' Bossypants can do it!
Tools
Here is what you will need:
A pair of scissors
A scalpel
Bookbinders Twine or similar (Bookbinders twine is a thin and strong string)
Three cocktail sticks
Invisible thread or fishing wire
A piece from a cute carrier bag or a pretty piece of paper
Anita's Tacky Glue or similar
Small fabric scraps
Step One
Take two of the cocktail sticks and cut the pointy ends off with a scalpel. Be careful not to slip and cut yourself! Cut one of the sticks shorter than the other.
Step Two
Hold the cocktail sticks in the shape of a cross. Take a piece of bookbinders twine or whatever you're using and tie it around the cocktail sticks in an x motion then secure.
Step Three
Step Four
Cut out your shape. Then cut a small cross shape in each corner for the sticks to poke through. Be careful not to cut too close to the edge or else you will tear your kite front when it you poke the sticks through the x-cuts. Now poke the sticks through the x-cuts!
Step Five
You need your bookbinders twine again. Cut a piece around 40cm long and tie around the cocktail stick just above the area where the cocktail sticks intersect. Cut a much smaller piece of twine and tie 3-4cm down the longer length of twine. Take the other end of this small piece and tie just underneath where the cocktail sticks intersect. The three circles on the image represent where your knots should be. Ignore the bend in the twine that looks like it is attached to the base of the kite!
You may want to attach a piece of invisible thread or fishing wire to the top of the kite, just tie around the cocktail stick, to give the appearance of flying. I never do this! *cough*onlyallthetime*cough*
Step Six (Nearly Over, I Promise!)
Take your third cocktail stick and cut it down to around 1cm. Wrap the end of your long length of bookbinders twine which is attached to the kite around it and glue in place using tacky glue or similar.
Step Seven
Now to make the tail! Cut a length of the bookbinders twine around 14cm long. Tie small scraps of fabric along the length of the twine. I used five scraps. Tie one end of the twine to the base of the kite by wrapping around the cocktail stick. You may also want to attach a piece of invisible thread or fishing wire to the other end of the twine for the flying effect.
You are now done! I hope you enjoy your kite. I hope I didn't sound too business-like in this tutorial but Big Ol' Bossypants said I had to be clear with my words. Please let me know if I haven't been and I will update the tutorial! Here is what your finished kite should look like! Don't worry if it is not the same. All kites are beautiful in my eyes.
Take your kite out for a test flight and admire your handiwork!
Try not to crash yours!
Tools
Here is what you will need:
A pair of scissors
A scalpel
Bookbinders Twine or similar (Bookbinders twine is a thin and strong string)
Three cocktail sticks
Invisible thread or fishing wire
A piece from a cute carrier bag or a pretty piece of paper
Anita's Tacky Glue or similar
Small fabric scraps
Step One
Take two of the cocktail sticks and cut the pointy ends off with a scalpel. Be careful not to slip and cut yourself! Cut one of the sticks shorter than the other.
Step Two
Hold the cocktail sticks in the shape of a cross. Take a piece of bookbinders twine or whatever you're using and tie it around the cocktail sticks in an x motion then secure.
Step Three
Draw around your cocktail stick cross to make a kite shape. I used a cute carrier bag I had laying about which was made of quite thick plastic. You can use a piece of paper or acetate or a cute carrier bag of your own. The possibilities are endless when it comes to kites!
Please excuse Big Ol' Bossypants's lobster fingers in this pic. Mine were too small to hold it down otherwise I'd have spared you the sight!
Step Four
Cut out your shape. Then cut a small cross shape in each corner for the sticks to poke through. Be careful not to cut too close to the edge or else you will tear your kite front when it you poke the sticks through the x-cuts. Now poke the sticks through the x-cuts!
Step Five
You need your bookbinders twine again. Cut a piece around 40cm long and tie around the cocktail stick just above the area where the cocktail sticks intersect. Cut a much smaller piece of twine and tie 3-4cm down the longer length of twine. Take the other end of this small piece and tie just underneath where the cocktail sticks intersect. The three circles on the image represent where your knots should be. Ignore the bend in the twine that looks like it is attached to the base of the kite!
You may want to attach a piece of invisible thread or fishing wire to the top of the kite, just tie around the cocktail stick, to give the appearance of flying. I never do this! *cough*onlyallthetime*cough*
Step Six (Nearly Over, I Promise!)
Take your third cocktail stick and cut it down to around 1cm. Wrap the end of your long length of bookbinders twine which is attached to the kite around it and glue in place using tacky glue or similar.
Step Seven
Now to make the tail! Cut a length of the bookbinders twine around 14cm long. Tie small scraps of fabric along the length of the twine. I used five scraps. Tie one end of the twine to the base of the kite by wrapping around the cocktail stick. You may also want to attach a piece of invisible thread or fishing wire to the other end of the twine for the flying effect.
You are now done! I hope you enjoy your kite. I hope I didn't sound too business-like in this tutorial but Big Ol' Bossypants said I had to be clear with my words. Please let me know if I haven't been and I will update the tutorial! Here is what your finished kite should look like! Don't worry if it is not the same. All kites are beautiful in my eyes.
Take your kite out for a test flight and admire your handiwork!
Try not to crash yours!
If you do make your own kite, please let me know. I would love to see a picture!
Stay sexy,
Parkin
xox
words: Parkin
images: Big Ol' Bossypants
words: Parkin
images: Big Ol' Bossypants
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