Thrifty Tip Thursday: Make your own Kite!

Want to make your own kite nearly free? Read below the pictures!

The picture below is of one of three kites I made last night for my sitter's house today. I made one for each of the three that stay with her during the day. I used a toy magazine to make them rather than tossing the magazine. (Green) The rest of the magazine will go to work with me for collage purposes for my students.

The picture below is of all three. I did not use tissue tubes on these because I didn't have enough. I just chopped up a dryer sheet box and punched a hole to tie the string on and wrapped it around the rectangle cardboard.

I love Thursdays!

That is right...Make your Own Kite out of simple "around the house" materials:

*String (yarn, whatever you have)
*Regular sheet of paper
*Bamboo Skewer Stick
*Crayons (for decoration, etc...I am thinking for kids)
*Masking Tape
*Tissue Tube (I use this to hold the string by hole punching one end and tieing the string to it and wrap around the tube. Easy for kids to hold and let the string out.)
*Hole Punchers...nice but not necessary...just jab a hole with the skewer works also.

I know...this isn't complete instructions...that is why I have THIS LINK that tells you step by step on how to fold the kite and attach the stick. I could type all of that out, but in blog world...we love new sites and clicking on stuff.

By the way: I have made these kites with my Kindergartners and some older children as well over the past 5-6 years. Trust me...they FLY as good as any store bought one. Maybe not as cute, but the kids get to say they made it and can decorate them. They are always amazed by how well they fly! Adults are amazed too. :-) You don't even need a lot of wind to make them fly. Cool little kites! Kids love 'em, and so do adults...very little if any cash out of pocket. I make about 100+ a year and it costs me only a few dollars for tape and sticks. I usually have everything else.