Qingming, one of the 24 solar terms, is one of the most important traditional festivals in China. It is the junction of the mid spring and the late spring. After the Qingming Festival, the weather gradually warmed up, and more and more people began to do outdoor sports. Kite flying is one of the customs of Qingming Festival. In ancient, Chinese people flew kites to express their remembrance for the deceased. Nowadays, kite flying is also a good exercise for physical and mental health, which can relieve cervical spondylosis and lower blood pressure.
Did you know that you can make a kite in 5 easy steps?
Let's make and fly a kite!
What you’ll need:
1.A strong plastic bag or paper decorated with your own unique design
2.A roll of electrical tape
3.Two lengths of hardwood dowel (about 5 mm diameter), at least as long as your paper/bag
4.A line (a strong and light synthetic thread)
5.A piece of wood or cardboard
6.A ruler
7.Scissors
8.A black marker pen
9.A small wood saw or a carving knife
Steps:
1. DRAW YOUR KITE SAIL
Lay your paper or bag smoothly on a flat surface (if it is a piece of paper make sure it is folded in half), and mark three dots to form an isosceles triangle. With the ruler, draw a straight line between them. Flip over paper/bag and trace over the original pen line to make a matching triangle shape.
2. CUT OUT THE KITE SAIL
Cut along the two edges with a pair of scissors, and open it up to reveal a diamond kite shape! Remember to keep the scrap paper.
3. BUILD KITE STRUCTURE
Lay the dowel in the center of the kite vertically, trim it so that it is the exact length of the kite, and affix with tape. Take a second length of dowel and lay it from the left to right corners so it forms a T, and tape as before.
4. ATTACH YOUR LINE
Turn the kite over and, with scissors, poke a small hole in the plastic where the two dowels cross. Thread one end of line through the hold and tie it tautly to both pieces of wood, add some tape to the middle over the knot to make sure it won’t move. Tie the other end of the line to a small wooden block or piece of board that you can hold with both hands. Stick the end of the thread in the handle so that it doesn’t move.
5. MAKE A TAIL
Use the remaining paper or bag to make a tail that’s about as twice as long as your kite. Tie to bottom of the (vertical) dowel in your own unique way!
Video step by step, of how to do a kite with accessible materials in an easy and fast way.
Now it’s time to find some wind and fly your unique kite!
Days Countdown to Chinese New Year
