Build a Sled Kite on you next Creative Family Beach VacationIt's actually quite easy to build a Sled Kite (or "Jellyfish Kite" due to it's "wiggly" flight path). Here's a photo of the finished product, a kite regularly championed as one of the easiest kites to build and to fly. Want to get started? Read on...
You need only a few simple items to build a sled kite. They are: 1) 4 plastic straws. 2) 1 large sheet of plastic...about 15" x 25" (a thin garbage bag will work well). 3) Kite Line (try some un-waxed dental floss). 4) Tape. 5) Scissors. 6) Marker.
Start off by crimping the end of one of the straws, and inserting it into the end of the other straw. Do this for the other straw as well...so out of 4 original straws, you now have 2 longer straws.
The next step is to secure the newly created "longer" straws, so wrap some tape around the joint.
Cut the straws so that they are 14" long.
Spread the sheet of plastic out onto a flat surface.
Secure the plastic to the flat surface with some tape.
Mark the dimensions of the kite on the plastic material.
Using your marker, mark the outline of the sled kite.
When you build a sled kite, why not add a bit of artistic flare? You can "jazz" it up in a number of ways, but let's build an "Ocracoke Sled Kite" for illustration purposes. First, we will be tracing the lighthouse onto a sheet of white plastic (a white trash bag works perfectly) so that it will stand out in front of the clear plastic background. Spread this white plastic out on a flat surface.
Download a copy of the ""Ocracoke Lighthouse Design".
Place this "Ocracoke Lighthouse" design under the white sheet of plastic.
Secure the material over the design with some tape.
Using your marker, copy the design onto the plastic.
Carefully remove the material from the design.
Cut the lighthouse design from the white plastic.
Place the white plastic with the lighthouse design onto the clear plastic kite material.
Tape the design to the kite material.
Get the 2 "long" straws that you created earlier.
Place these "long" straws onto the kite material.
Tape the "long" straws to the kite material.
Cut the kite material around the outline.
You now have the framework of the "Sled Kite".
Cut the kite bridle.
Secure the bridle to the kite material with tape.
Use some of the left-over plastic to create a tail for your kite.
Create a "roll" out of the kite tail material.
Cut the roll of material into 1/4" wide strips.
Unwrap the kite tail material.
Tie the tail kite material together until you have about two 92" long pieces.
Insert one end of the tail into a straw at the bottom of the kite. Secure this in place with a piece of tape. Do this for each of the two straws on the kite.
Secure one end of the line to the holder (so the kite won't fly away), and the other end to the bridle of the kite.
See...it's quite easy to build a Sled Kite. You are now ready to enjoy the "fruits of your labor". Happy Flying!
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