How to Make a Paper Diamond Kite

Step-by-Step—Page 2 of 3

The MBK Paper Diamond

The Horizontal Spars

Measure Shapes

Measured and dots marked

The bottom of the photo above is a short edge of the paper.
Measure, and mark dots where indicated by the yellow dots in the photo.

Note: Keep the dots within half the area of the paper. You can crease the paper in the middle, open out and then keep the dots on one side of the crease.

Draw Lines

Lines drawn between dots

Using your ruler, connect the dots as shown. As you can see in the photo, you don't need a line drawn across the middle of each shape.

Duplicate Shapes

The Paper Diamond kite - the 3 shapes duplicated.

The three shapes duplicated

Fold down the unmarked half of the paper.
Trace dots at the positions of the shape corners. Up against a window works well, with sunshine lighting up both thicknesses of paper from behind.
Tear the paper in half along the crease.
Rule lines between the corner dots. There's the original and the copy in the photo.

Note: If you have trouble tracing due to dark paper or insufficient light: With a needle, poke holes through the two sheets of paper, at the corners of the shapes. Be careful not to let them shift! Then, after tearing the paper in half, rule lines between the pinholes on the blank sheet.

Tape Over

Shapes taped

Lay strips of sticky tape over the spar shapes as illustrated in the photo.
The strips of tape can overlap slightly and should cover the shapes completely. That's the only requirement!

Cut Out

Shapes cut out

Cut out the shapes, which will be totally covered in tape on one side. A little bit of curl is OK.

Stick Together

Longest and mid-sized shapes stuck together

Lay down both the longest shapes with the taped sides facing down.
Lay a mid-sized shape over the top of each longer shape, also with the taped sides facing down.
Line up the wide ends exactly, shift the top shape up or down to center it over the lower shape then stick in place with tape. Also tack down the narrower end with a square of tape as shown in the photo.

Shortest shapes added

Now line up the remaining shapes, taped sides down. Use sticky tape at both ends as before. See the yellow lines in the photo.

Encase in Tape

Tape laid down over one long edge

Lay a strip of sticky tape the full length of one spar, leaving half the width overhanging.

Tape folded around long edge

Fold the overhanging tape around so it sticks to the other side.

Tape laid and folded around both long edges of both spars, before ends trimmed

In the same way, wrap tape around the three remaining long edges, so both spars are almost completely encased in sticky tape.
Using scissors, trim any overhanging tape from the short edges of the paper spars.

Dihedral Cutouts

The Paper Diamond kite - measured and lines drawn, on 1 spar.

Measured and lines drawn, on one spar

Take a paper spar and fold in half near the wide end. Create a crease line near the edge.
Carefully measure 0.3 cm (1/8 in.) along the crease from the edge, and make a small dot.
Draw lines from the corners to the dot, as shown in the photo.
Measure and draw lines on the other spar in the same way.

Note: A thin gray line has been added to show where the crease is.

Cutouts done on both spars

Using scissors, cut along the two ruled lines on both spars to remove the wedges of paper layers. See the two spars in the photo.

Attaching Vertical Spar to Sail

Tape One Edge

One edge taped, before trimming ends

Take the longest paper spar—the vertical spar—and lay it down, aligned with one of the guide lines as shown. The shortest length of single thickness should be at the nose end of the sail. That's at the left in the photo. The shorter layers of paper should be underneath, out of sight.
Tack in place with squares of sticky tape—at least one in the middle and one near each end.
All good? Now lay a strip of tape down the whole length, as indicated by the yellow rectangle in the photo.
With scissors, trim off overhanging bits of tape and paper with a single snip at each end.

Tape Other Edge

Edge tacked at one end

Flip the paper spar across and flatten it down, so the second guide line becomes visible.
Go to one end and pull the free edge of the rectangle across so it lines up with the second guide line. Tack it down with a short strip of tape, as indicated in yellow, in the photo. See how the second guide line is just visible, towards the right in the photo.

Edge taped the rest of the way, before ends trimmed

Using somewhat longer lengths of tape, tack down more and more of the spar, making sure the edge lines up with the second guide line. Go all the way across to the nose end of the sail as shown in the photo. The tape strips can overlap a little, but don't leave any gaps.
At each end, trim off any overhanging bits of paper and tape, with scissors.

Note: It's just too tricky to tape it all down in one go!

Shape the Spar

Pinching started at one end

Go to one end of the spar and carefully pinch it between finger and thumb, as in the photo. The aim is to get a crease right in the middle.

Note: The spar won't crease sharp because of all the sticky tape, but pinch firmly anyway.

V shape formed, all the way along

Work your way along the spar, pinching tightly all the way. I like to use both hands at once, close together.
Go all the way along and then back again, so nothing is missed. You have created a spar that is stiff enough to do the job required of it! See the photo.

Attaching Horizontal Spars To Sail

Bear in mind that most of the steps below are more easily done on a tabletop, with the vertical spar up against one edge of the tabletop. That's to keep the bit you are working on flat!