Gather the materials listed below and follow the 5 easy steps to assemble the kite.
Materials you will need: Sticks picked from the coconut palm and cleaned, or any other type of stick that is thin, straight, and light. The length of these will determine the width of the kite.Lightweight but strong rope – 15 to 60 feet long – to tie the poles together and fly the kite.Lightweight plastic, like a dry cleaning bag, to use as a cover. Slightly heavier plastic can be used for the decorative border.An unripe star fruit, a fruit that provides milk that can be used as a glue, or a quick, sticky glue like Wilhold.
Assembly method: cross the sticks and tie them together in the center with a piece of string.
Tie a piece of string at the end of each stick. On a segment, tighten the string to give shape to the structure. The twine will also provide an anchor point for the edges of the blanket.Apply glue to the sticks and string to adhere them to the plastic cover.Tie the string to the ends of each of the sticks, pulling lightly to give shape to the structure. The twine will also provide an anchor point for the edges of the blanket when it is glued.Add decorative edges. At the ends of the two sticks that have been tightened, tie a segment of string long enough so that its midpoint reaches the center of the kite. At this middle, tie the end of the rest of the string and make sure that its length does not get tangled.
Hold the kite and the end of the string upwind. Quickly, holding the end of the string, let go of the kite by backing up, away from the kite. Hopefully your kite will catch the wind and fly. Enjoy!
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JO Haselhoef is the author of “Give & Take: Doing Our Damnedest NOT to be Another Charity in Haiti”. She co-founded “Yonn Ede Lot” (One Helping Another), a non-profit organization that worked with volunteer groups in La Montagne (“Lamontay”), Haiti from 2007 to 2013. She lives in Milwaukee , Wisconsin.
