Kite Template
Print a full-size plan for a paper or plastic-bag kite. Choose one of 4 kites (a diamond, a sled, a delta with a keel or a simple box kite) and a size, or type your own spine length, and the template draws the sail at full size across as many US Letter or A4 pages as it needs. The pages overlap by 10 mm, with a grey line where the next page starts and crosses that meet when the pages are lined up, and each page is named by its column and row. A plan page shows the whole kite with the length of every spar, where the bridle ties on, how long each bridle leg is and a tail to start with. For the diamond, sled and delta you can print only half the sail and cut the material folded along the spine, which needs fewer pages. Download a PDF of every page, 300 DPI PNGs or an SVG of the page you are looking at. Nothing is uploaded.
100% private — everything runs in your browser. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Print every page at 100% (Actual size). Lay each page over the grey dashed line of the one before so the crosses meet, tape them, then cut the solid line.
Fly away from power lines. If a kite gets caught in a line, leave it and call the power company. Never use metal or wire in a kite or its line.
Kite
Paper
Runs in your browser with our own code and drawings: nothing is uploaded and nothing is saved. The kite plans are our own geometry: every spar length is measured on the plan, and the full-size pages overlap by 10 mm with crosses to line them up. The designs are our own drawings: you may use them and anything you make with them, including things you sell, with no credit needed.
How to make a kite from the template
- Choose the kite shape, a size (or your own spine length) and US Letter or A4.
- Pick the whole sail, or half the sail if you will fold the plastic or paper along the spine and cut both halves at once.
- Download the PDF and print every page at 100% (Actual size). Check one measurement on the plan page with a ruler.
- Lay the pages out by their names (A1, B1, A2…), overlap each one on the grey dashed line so the crosses meet and tape them together.
- Tape the template to the sail material, cut along the solid line, tape the spars along the dashed blue lines, tie the bridle where it is marked and add a tail if it needs one.
What you can use it for
- A family kite day or a windy weekend project
- A science or design-and-technology lesson on how kites fly
- A camp, club or party craft with plastic bags and skewers
- Testing different shapes and sizes side by side
- A homemade gift for a child who likes to fly things
- Replacing the sail of an old kite at the same size
Kite sizes and spars
| Kite | Size (spine) | Spars | Pages, whole sail: Letter / A4 | Pages, half sail: Letter / A4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond | Small (450 mm) | Spine 450 mm; Cross spar 360 mm | 4 / 4 | 2 / 2 |
| Diamond | Medium (600 mm) | Spine 600 mm; Cross spar 480 mm | 8 / 8 | 4 / 4 |
| Diamond | Large (800 mm) | Spine 800 mm; Cross spar 640 mm | 15 / 15 | 8 / 8 |
| Sled | Small (450 mm) | Upright spar ×2 450 mm | 6 / 6 | 4 / 3 |
| Sled | Medium (600 mm) | Upright spar ×2 600 mm | 12 / 12 | 6 / 6 |
| Sled | Large (800 mm) | Upright spar ×2 800 mm | 20 / 20 | 10 / 10 |
| Delta | Small (450 mm) | Spine 450 mm; Leading-edge spar ×2 513 mm; Spreader 446 mm | 10 / 10 | 6 / 6 |
| Delta | Medium (600 mm) | Spine 600 mm; Leading-edge spar ×2 684 mm; Spreader 594 mm | 20 / 20 | 12 / 12 |
| Delta | Large (800 mm) | Spine 800 mm; Leading-edge spar ×2 912 mm; Spreader 792 mm | 35 / 35 | 20 / 20 |
| Box | Small (450 mm) | Longeron ×4 450 mm; Cross spar (diagonal) ×4 191 mm | 6 / 6 | n/a |
| Box | Medium (600 mm) | Longeron ×4 600 mm; Cross spar (diagonal) ×4 255 mm | 8 / 9 | n/a |
| Box | Large (800 mm) | Longeron ×4 800 mm; Cross spar (diagonal) ×4 339 mm | 15 / 12 | n/a |
Page counts are for the full-size sail without the plan page. Every spar length is measured between its two ends on the plan, and every sail is a mirror image about its spine.
Bridle and tail (600 mm kites)
| Kite | Bridle | Tail |
|---|---|---|
| Diamond kite | Bridle legs: 274 mm and 369 mm; Bridle ties on: the spine, 150 mm and 450 mm from the nose | about 2.4 m to start (4 × spine) |
| Sled kite | Bridle loop: 1980 mm, tied to both wingtips; tow ring in the middle | not needed to start; add one if it spins |
| Delta kite | Keel: triangle 270 mm along the spine, 150 mm deep; tow hole at the tip | not needed to start; add one if it spins |
| Box kite | Bridle legs: 194 mm and 210 mm; Bridle ties on: one longeron, at the front end and 180 mm back | not needed to start; add one if it spins |
These are starting points for our own designs. Slide the knot on the bridle a little toward the nose or the tail to trim the kite on the day.
What prints on the pages
| Line or mark | What it means |
|---|---|
| Solid black | Cut line of the sail (and the delta keel or the box kite bands) |
| Dashed blue | Where a spar goes, with its length; on box kite bands, the fold lines |
| Orange circles | Where the bridle ties on (the delta keel has its tow hole) |
| Orange dashed line | Half sail only: put this line on the fold of the material |
| Grey dashed line | Where the next page starts: overlap it |
| Crosses | Print on both neighbouring pages at the same place: line them up |
| Page name | Column letter and row number, as on the page map |
Materials
| Part | What to use |
|---|---|
| Sail | A plastic bag, tissue paper, wrapping paper or printer paper taped together |
| Spars | Thin wooden dowel, bamboo skewers or garden cane, never metal |
| Bridle and line | Strong string or kite line on a winder; no wire or metal thread |
| Tape | Clear tape or sail tape to hold the spars and reinforce the bridle points |
| Tail | Strips of plastic bag or crepe paper tied to a string |
Fly safely
Fly away from power lines. If a kite gets caught in a line, leave it and call the power company. Never use metal or wire in a kite or its line.
Sources: Great River Energy, Electricity safety: recreation (fly so the wind carries the kite away from power lines; do not pull the string or climb a pole to get it down); Enel, Safe kite flying (never retrieve a kite tangled in power lines; nothing that contains metal). Both read 11 November 2026.
Other things to print and fold
Fold a glider with the Paper Airplane Template, print any big picture across several pages with the Poster Tiler, or make decorations with the Paper Lantern Template and the Bunting Template.
More free tools
Making more things that fly or fold?
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Frequently asked questions
How do I make a kite from a template?
Print every page at 100%, tape the pages together where the crosses meet and cut the sail from a plastic bag, paper or tissue along the solid line. Tape the spars along the dashed blue lines, tie the bridle at the marked points, tie the flying line to the bridle and add a tail if the kite spins.
Which kite is easiest to make?
The sled has no cross spar to fit: two straight spars and a bridle loop tied to the wingtips. The diamond is the classic shape with a spine, one cross spar and a two-leg bridle. The delta and the box kite take a little longer.
How long should the spars be?
The tool works them out from the plan. For a 600 mm diamond the spine is 600 mm and the cross spar 480 mm. The table on this page gives every spar for each kite and size, and the plan page prints them with your own size.
What can I make the spars from?
Thin wooden dowels, bamboo skewers or garden canes cut to length. Do not use metal rods or wire in a kite or its line.
What is the bridle and where does it tie on?
The bridle is the short line between the kite and the flying line. The flying line ties to it at the tow point, and the kite turns about that point in the wind. The template marks where each bridle leg ties on and prints the length of each leg.
Does my kite need a tail?
A diamond usually flies better with one: the template suggests about four times the spine length to start. The sled, delta and box kite usually fly without one; add a tail if the kite spins or loops, and shorten it if it will not climb.
What can I make the sail from?
A plastic shopping or bin bag, tissue paper, wrapping paper or thin printer paper taped together. Plastic is lighter and stronger in the wind than paper.
Why are there crosses and dashed lines on the pages?
Each page overlaps the next by 10 mm. The grey dashed line shows where the next page starts, and the crosses print on both pages at the same place, so you know the pages are lined up when the crosses meet.
Where is a safe place to fly a kite?
An open field or beach, well away from power lines, roads, trees and airports. If a kite gets caught in a power line, leave it there and call the power company.
Is anything uploaded?
No. Everything is drawn by JavaScript in your browser and never leaves your device, and nothing is saved when you close the page.