Things [ Hand Made ]

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My chance to wonder about hand made things and tell the world about those I make, love and cherish!

Monday 18 August 2008

Let's go fly a kite.........

Well, we are moving through the school holidays at quite a speed. It is the first school holiday that I have not been pregnant or b/feeding so its quite nice to have a bit of energy. (only a bit, though!)


We have been able to do some of those projects you imagine doing when waiting for the holidays to start. I have 2 boys and they love making things. I have to pick projects carefully though as they like practical things to make. Something they can use or play with. It has to be a project that gives quick results so I try to prepare things beforehand as much as possible.


We had a lovely afternoon making and flying a kite. I found a lovely kite shape that is easy to copy, used an old bed sheet, a couple of pea canes and string. I used kite tails from another kite. I had the kite shape pre cut but my 8year old did most of the rest. Both boys found the kite easy to fly but it did seem to involve them running to the other side of the field and me hauling the (nearly) 2 year old over the field to catch up with them.


I have written a tutorial for it here.


This is my first tutorial so treat it kindly! It is not an exact pattern, its more of a suggestion. We decorated ours with felt tip pens as it is not meant to be a kite for keeping just an afternoons activity. It would be quite easy to adapt so that it could be made for keeping. The holes in the kite can be altered to adapt the kite for different wind conditions but it takes a greater mind than mine to work all that out!


Hope you have as much fun with it as we did!


9 comments:

Knit Sew City Girl said...

Hi! What a wonderful idea. My daughter would love to make a kite and then we could drive to Blackheath common to test it out.

Note: I couldn't find a link to the tutorial.

Mary

Sal said...

Hi there..just discovered your blog and have popped over to say hello as I am also taking part in the V&H fair ,in November.
And I'm also in the South West!
Sal ;-)

red2white said...

Hiya! I enjoyed reading your summery posts! (catching up after our holidays are over)Happy end to yours!! ox Monika

jackie said...

I'm envious of your visit to the NEC. I didn't get there this year. I have memories of kite flying with my sons, must says it never went smoothly - v. tangled in fact.

Amanda @ www.kiddio.org said...

My kids are a bit kite-crazy (as is my husband), so this should be very well-received. Thank you :)

www.kiddio.org

Lina said...

Great tutorial - we'll have to give this a try!

A Saucerful Of Secrets said...

Hi there!kite flying, thats one idea I hadn't thought of, thanks for that,but where is your tutorial?Hope,unlike me,your plans for the VH Fair are going well,EEeeek!Annie x

Cowboys and Custard Mercantile said...

Hello...
I have very happy memories of flying a kite as a child and we are talking years ago now! I remember the kite as being red with a long tail with the bows that kites used to have...
I bought a stunt kite when my boy was younger and had great fun flying it on the hills above Bath where you can always see kites flying at the weekend.

Michele

Unknown said...

How wonderful to make your own kite and fly it together! Lovely idea!