How to Make a Diamond Kite

For this diamond, you need two long lengths of 5 mm (3/16 in.) wooden dowel—at least 1.0 DL (120 cm, 48 in.) each. They are easily cut to the length required with a small hacksaw.

• Lay down a dowel over the center crease of the plastic. Mark it at the exact height of the sail and cut off at the mark. Round off the tips with a wood file. This is the vertical spar.
• Cut off a very short length of dowel, 0.01 DL (1.2 cm, 1/2 in.) in length. Round off the tips with a wood file. You can use thinner dowel than this if you have some laying around. This will be used as the bow-line toggle. I use 4 mm dowel for toggles.
• Lay down some more dowel across the left and right corners of the sail, mark it at the exact width and cut off at the mark.
• Round off the tips with a wood file then add a bow line so the depth of the bow is 0.08 DL (9.6 cm, 3 3/4 in.). With the kite flat on the ground, that's how far the tips should be off the grass. This is the horizontal spar. The photo above shows it with the toggle unattached, plus the vertical spar.

• Spread out the sail, with the edge tape facing upwards.
• Lay down the horizontal spar over the sail, so it would bow away from the sail if you attached the toggle. With the toggle unattached, line up the tips of the spar with the left and right corners of the sail.
• Cap one tip of the spar with tape by sticking tape down on the dowel and plastic then folding it around the tip and under the plastic to stick on the other side—a bit tricky; take your time!
• For added strength, put another piece of tape at right angles to the first. See the completed cap in the photo up there.
• Now do the other tip of the spar similarly, using another two pieces of tape.
• Finally, cap the top and bottom ends of the vertical spar with one length of tape in each case.

• Lash and glue the spars together where they cross, using a short length of flying line. Fix the knot with a drop of glue so it can never come undone.