kite joints are all firmly tied and the kite evenly balanced; otherwise it may be lopsided.  Fasten on the strings of the frame, beginning at the neck at equal distances from the spine, as indicated by the dotted lines in the diagram.  Extend a string slantingly from the arms tick to the head on both sides of the spinal column, and run all the other strings as shown in the cut, being careful that both sides of the frame correspond in measurements.

To cover the kite, select different colors of paper to suit your taste, and after pasting them together, lay the paper on the floor and placing the frame on it, cut out the pattern.  Leave an edge of 1/2 in. all around and make a slit in this edge every 6 in. and at each angle; make the slits 2 in. apart around the head.  After the kite is pasted and dry, paint the buttons, hair, eyes, hands, feet, etc., as you desire.  Arrange the “belly band” and tail band and attach the kite string in the same manner as in the ordinary coffin-shaped kite.

The “lady kite” is made on the same principle as the boy kite.  The frame may be made exactly as the boy kite and then “dressed” with tissue paper to represent a girl, or it may be made on the special frame, page 81.  Remember the dotted lines represent the strings or thread, and the other lines indicate the kite sticks.  Be careful with your measurements so that each side of the kite corresponds exactly and is well balanced.  Also see that every point where the sticks intersect is firmly tacked and bound.

To cover the kite, first paste together pieces of tissue paper of different color to suit your taste.  The paste should be made of flour and water and boiled.  Make the seams or overlaps not quite 3/8 in. wide.  Lay the paper on the floor, using weights to hold it down, and place the frame of the kite upon it.  Then cut out the paper around the frame, leaving an edge of 1/2 in.  Don’t forget to make a slit in the edge every 6 or 7 in. and at each angle.  Around the head the slits are cut 2 in. apart, as in the case of the boy kite.  After the kite is dry, paint the paper as your fancy dictates.

To make the breast band, punch holes through the paper, one upon each side of the leg sticks, just above the bottom, and one upon each side of the arm sticks at the shoulder.  Run one end of the string through the hole at the bottom of the left limb and tie it to the leg stick; tie the other end at the right shoulder.  Fasten one end of another string of the same length at the bottom of the right leg; pass the string up across the first band and tie the other end at the left shoulder.  Attach the kite string to the breast band at the point where the two strings intersect.  Tie the knot so that you can slide the kite string up or down until it is properly adjusted.  The tail band is made by tying a string to the leg sticks at the bottom of the breast band.  Let the string hang slack below the skirt and attach the tail to the center.  The same general rules apply in attaching the string and tail to the boy kite.