How to Make a Paper Sode Kite

Step-by-Step — Page 1 of 3

The MBK Paper Sode

Learn how to make a paper sode kite with these easy-to-follow instructions. Fully illustrated with closeup photographs, every step of the way.

MBK Paper Sode

These instructions take you step-by-step through making a small but high flying sode kite — all from several pieces of A4 or Letter size copier paper and some sticky tape!

This kite performs well in gentle to moderate wind speeds. That's from 12 to 28 kph or from 8 to 18 mph. Even quite a small child should be able to hang on to the winder once the kite is up.

Sodes aren't particularly well known as a kite type, but you know what: This little kite is possibly the best in the Paper Series as a steady high flyer.

On this site, there's more kite-making info than you can poke a stick at :-)

Want to know the most convenient way of using it all?

The Big MBK E-book Bundle is a collection of downloads — printable PDF files which provide step-by-step instructions for many kites large and small.

Every kite in every MBK series.

How to Make a Paper Sode Kite
The Sail

Tack Paper Sheets Together

The Paper Sode kite - 3 sheets of paper tacked together, yellow lines indicate sticky tape.

Three sheets of paper tacked together, yellow lines indicate tape

Orient the three sheets as shown. It's easy to line up the bottom sheet if you put a crease down the middle by folding it in half. The paper color(s) are up to you!
Bring the sheets of paper together and tack in place with short strips of sticky tape. Yellow lines show where the edges of the tape are. You'll be seeing plenty of those yellow lines from here on!

Measure on One Side

Sail corners measured and marked

Start measuring from the point where all three sheets of paper meet; the lower one of the two central dots in the photo.
Using a pen, make dark dots on the paper, following the arrows shown above. I have added yellow dots to make the positions clear.
Note how dots are placed either on the centerline from top to bottom, or to the right of the centerline.

Fold Along the Centerline

Paper sheets folded

Fold the three sheets along the centerline, leaving the dots on the outside.
Place the paper up against a window while there is some light outside.
Trace the dots that are not on the centerline, onto the unmarked side. Some of them are just visible in the photo above.

Note: What if the paper is too dark to see through? Just poke a hole through each dot with a needle so you can see where to put a dot on the unmarked side!

Draw Sail Shape

Lines drawn between dots

Unfold the paper and lay it down.
Using a pencil and ruler, connect the dots as shown in the photo.

Note1: The lines in the photo are enhanced so you can see them easier.

Note2: Two of the dots on the centerline are not connected by any line.

Apply Tape

Tape laid down

Apply sticky tape as indicated in the photo. The ruled lines haven't been enhanced in this photo!

Cut Sail Shape

Sail cut out

With scissors, cut all around the sail shape. There it is in the photo.

Draw Vertical Guide Lines

Dots drawn for vertical guide lines

Lay down the sail so the sticky tape is against the floor.
Near the top of the sail, make a dot on each side of the centerline, 0.8 cm (1/4 in.) from the line. See the photo on the left up there.
In the same way, make pairs of dots near the middle and bottom of the centerline of the sail. See the photo on the right.

All vertical guide lines drawn

Rule two straight lines through all the dots as shown.

Draw Horizontal Guide Lines

The Paper Sode kite - left-top of sail – 2 dots marked.

Left top of sail – two dots marked

Flip the sail over and mark two dots where indicated by the arrows in the photo. Note how the dot on the right just misses the sticky tape which runs down the middle of the sail.
Do the same on the right hand side of the paper, like a mirror-image.

Note: Only the arrow distances need to be accurate; the distances from the middle and from the sides can be done by eye from the photo.

The Paper Sode kite - left-middle of sail – 2 dots marked.

Left middle of sail – two dots marked

Mark another 2 dots where indicated by the arrows in the photo. Again, note how the dot on the right just misses the sticky tape.
As before, do the same on the right hand side of the paper, like a mirror image.

Bottom of sail – 2 dots marked

Mark another two dots where indicated by the arrows in the photo. It doesn't matter how close the dots are to the side; just eyeball it from the photo.

Spar guide lines drawn through all the dots

Using your ruler, draw five lines through all the dots as shown.

The Vertical Spar

Measure Rectangles

Measured and dots marked

Measure, and mark dots where indicated in the photo. It will be helpful to rule some long horizontal lines first, at the indicated intervals.

Note: The distances to the edges of the paper don't matter. Just measure as indicated, from bottom left.

Draw Lines

Lines drawn between dots

Using your pen and ruler, connect the dots as shown.

Tape Over

Rectangles taped

Lay strips of sticky tape over the rectangles as illustrated in the photo.
The strips of tape can overlap slightly and should cover the rectangles completely.

Cut Out

Rectangles cut out

Cut out the rectangles, which will be totally covered in tape on one side. Some curl is OK, as you can see in the photo above.

Stick Together

The Paper Sode kite - 4 widest rectangles butt-joined.

Four widest rectangles butt joined

Lay down the four widest rectangles with taped sides facing the floor, butted together as shown. At top left is the 17 cm (6 3/4 in.) rectangle, at top right is the 26 cm (10 1/4 in.) rectangle of matching width. At bottom left is the other 26 cm (10 1/4 in.) rectangle and at bottom right is the 20 cm (8 in.) rectangle.
Lay tape across each join as shown, before wrapping the overhanging tape around to the other side.

Note: Use a ruler to verify the rectangles are perfectly lined up before applying the tape!

Shorter piece goes on top then taped at each end

Still keeping the taped sides facing down, place the shorter butt joined piece on top. It's slightly narrower, so try to center it over the wider piece.
Align the two pieces at the right hand end and put a short strip of tape around to hold them there. There should now be 3 cm (1 1/8 in.) between the edges at the other end.
Tack the free end of the overlying piece down with a square of sticky tape as indicated in the photo.

Last rectangle goes on top

The remaining rectangle is thinner again. Position taped-side-down and centered, before tacking in place with squares of tape as shown. This time the distance from the end at left should be 5 cm (2 in.). See the photo.

Encase in Tape

Tape laid down over one long edge

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

Tape folded around a long edge

Fold the overhanging tape around so it sticks to the other side. Doing it all at once with one strip of tape can be tricky, so consider using two or three strips of tape instead. A little bit of overlap is OK.

Tape laid and folded around other long edge

In the same way, cover the other edge of the paper with tape and fold around. The three layers of paper should now feel like one solid piece.
Trim off any excess folded tape at either end, with scissors.

As mentioned earlier, there's more kite making on this site than you can poke a stick at :-)