Make a Minimum Sled Kite

A Paper Sled With No Sticks!

Perhaps you've read about how to make simple paper kites from single sheets of copier paper with two sticks or straws forming the spars. Little sleds or paper planes in other words, which dance around in light breezes outdoors or perhaps are towed around indoors if there is enough space.

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Step 1—Find the Centerline

Fold the sheet so the longer sides bend. Line up two of the corners as accurately as you can.

Don't crease the paper all the way along the fold. Instead, just pinch it right near one end as in the photo. Then line up and pinch the other end too.

Lay the paper flat. You should see the two tiny creases as in the photo.

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Step 2—Fold Up the "Spars"

Fold the sheet in from both sides so the shorter edges meet exactly in the middle.

Lay the folded sheet on a smooth hard surface, and sharpen the creases with your fingernail. That's right, press firmly and run your fingernail up and down the creases.

Turn the paper over and unfold one flap, as in the photo.

With both hands, pinch a small width of the crease and fold it back towards you. After sharpening the new crease, it should look like the photo.

How's that—making paper kites without anything extra for the spars!

Now do the other side the same. Don't worry, I've found it's quite easy to get them both very similar in width. Just do it so it feels the same.

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Step 3—Fold and Tear Leading Edges

Fold the paper and line up two corners as shown.

Fold both layers of paper into a triangular flap as shown. The fold line starts right next to the spar folds that are already there.

Crease sharply using your trusty fingernail—an essential tool for making paper kites!

Open out the whole paper kite, and sharpen the crease of both flaps individually. Now fold them both back the other way, and sharpen the crease again with your fingernail.

Do this eight times on both flaps to weaken the fold line, then carefully tear them off.

OK, if you want to cheat on that last step, go grab a pair of scissors. I admit it's quicker, but you can't brag that you used no tools at all except a skewer! (Oh, and a fingernail.)

Now this paper kite is starting to look like a sled!

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Step 4—Adding the Bridle

Fold the paper kite as in the photo and line up the corners.

Then poke your sharp skewer through both layers of paper, where the black dot is.

You don't have to mark a black dot; I just marked it to make the position clear in the photo.

Cut off a piece of polyester thread (or light Dacron or nylon) that is at least twice as long as the longest side of a sheet of copy paper.

Tie each end through a hole in your paper kite, without crushing the paper. See the photo.

Stick a length of tape in place to reinforce the bridle attachment. Make it long enough to fold a similar length around and onto the other side of the paper. Try to make it look just like the photo.

Do the other hole the same way.

Fold the kite to bring the corners and holes together, and hence find the exact center of the bridle line.

Tie a small loop into the bridle line at dead center. There it is at the top center of the photo—if you look hard!

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Step 5—Flying!

That's the kite all made up. All that remains is to attach a flying line to that little loop and watch the little sled soar up to the ceiling!

I hope you have enjoyed learning to make a minimum sled kite this way. Now, regarding flying:

Outdoors, you will need to wait for gentle winds of between 5 and 8 kph (3 to 5 mph) for best results. Or, in a dead calm, just jog along slowly to tow it up.

You will do best if you use ordinary polyester sewing thread for the flying line.

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Have fun, and up there is a video of this folded-paper kite for encouragement!

 

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