Even serious artists need a fun project. And preferably one that allows us to go outside and enjoy beautiful summery weather!

So in honor of Pop Art, this month’s Smart Art Box theme, we are all about making art out of the ordinary everyday things around us. Did you know that you can make a kite in 5 easy steps from odds and ends? Not only is it easy, convenient and cheap, you’ll use your unique creative talent and make something useful and fun that no one else has!

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:

(livewellforless.sainsburys.co.uk)

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.

(livewellforless.sainsburys.co.uk)

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 and voilà!

Now it’s time to find some wind and fly your unique kite!

And now that you know the basic steps, you can experiment with different shapes, patterns and designs!