My first kite was a store bought (1956 and $0.25 I think)paper diamond kite. I flew it until the paper ripped. This scenario occurred yearly until I was about 10 year old. Then I recycled the sticks, strung cotton kite string around the diamond shape, glued newspaper around the string, and used some poster paint to give it some attraction other than black & white print. The NEW RECYCLED kite flew okay (albeit not so easily since my craftwork made it heavier than the original store bought kite). I never dreamed that adults would play with kites nor that I would get the urge to build and fly kites as an adult. But WOW!!! Look at what modern materials and creativity have brung - large kites, inflatable kites, stunt kites, traction kites, kite ballets - and all of it beautiful to see coloring the sky.
