How to Make a Box Kite

A home make box kite

Here is one of the box kites I have made and it is the subject of this tutorial on making one. You would think by looking at it that there is no way this thing would fly but in reality it flies really well.

This is a text tutorial with lots of pictures and a written out plan for making the kite but there is also a video that shows all the steps in how to make it. At the end of the video I also show it flying.

How to Make A BoxKite

Easy links to kite stuff on this site:

Box Kite printer friendly plan

Kites, and kite making supplies

The video tutorial for this kite

Some thoughts on being creative with materials

This kind of a project is very flexible and you have a whole host of materials that you can use to make it. I used 1/4 inch wooden dowels that I bought at a hardware store. Each dowel cost me 59 cents. You can do this or you can use some kind of other material. Looking around the house you might be able to scrounge up something suitable. I have a cat toy that is a long plastic stick which would be perfect for this. You also might want to dig up some old flags. The wooden or plastic pole might be perfect. About the plastic I used. It is painters drop cloth and it is 2 mil thick but this doesnt matter much. You can use a large plastic trash bag or you can use newspaper.

Stake Line Winder, 30# x 500 ft. PMR98430 If you need kite string you might be able to do what I did. I found a kite for a dollar in a dollar store and it came with a spool of string. Amazon.com also has plenty of inexpensive spools of kite string. And if you are looking for a variety of kites and supplies I have put together a kite page here. Kite Stuff and Supplies

I also have a tutorial with video on how to make a traditional kite if you think the box kite might be too much of a challenge for you. The traditional kite is easy to make and easy to fly. It will take you maybe a half hour to make. How to make a tradtional kite

Here are the plans for the Box Kite we are making. I have these plans on a separate page for easy printing Box Kite Plans

Box Kite Plans

You can watch the video tutorial below or skip ahead and continue with the web based tutorial

EDMUND SCIENTIFICS

I am a big fan of Edmund Scientifics and I have been getting their catalogs and ordering stuff from them since the days way before the internet! I really love their approach to science and fun. Lots of great kits and things in all areas of science and exploration. They do have kites too! Here is their Kite Stuff

This Edmund Scientifics Banner will take you to their New Products Section