A kite should be colorful to stand out against the sky, and it doesn’t hurt if it looks nice lying around the beach house, either. But you’ll have a far easier time finding a kite dressed like an Angry Bird or shaped like a stealth bomber than a kite of the kind we were hoping to find (that is, something like this one belonging to Curious George).
No matter. Luckily, several of our favorite makers are now producing flying works of art, plus we found a couple of DIY kits to make your own. Here are the ten kites we’d reach for:
Above: The signature Diamond Kite from Haptic Lab is made of ripstop nylon screen printed by hand in Brooklyn, then assembled on a birch wood frame in Pennsylvania. Shown here in Red Wind, it’s available in six patterns; $42.
Above: The Delta Kite from Fredericks & Mae is made of ripstop nylon and comes with a carrying case, line, and winder. Shown here in Sunset, it’s also available in a bird motif; $44.
Above: Haptic Lab’s Comet Kite looks like a friendly snake in the wind; like the company’s other kites, it’s made in the US, and coordinates with an optional Kite Handle for easy line winding; $42.
Above: This High Art Kite features a “little winged demon” by Polish illustrator Jan Kallwejt, made by UK company Noted; £10.50 at Twenty Twenty One.
Above: The Aerobie Design Your Own Kite kit is preassembled of white Tyvek polyester, ready to be decorated any way you wish; £5.99 from John Lewis.
Above: The Frustrationless Flyer Kite Making Kit is made by a Seattle couple and comes in a pack of 10 easy-fly kites ready for decoration with crayons, markers, or acrylic paints; $39.95 for a pack of 10 from Highline Kites.
Above: This paper Diamond Kite is ready to fly with a 10 meter line, produced by the Ireland-based World’s Smallest Kite Company. Available in 10 colors, it’s £3. (If you’re feeling patriotic, they also sell a number of charming Flag Kites.)
Above: Inspired by traditional Balinese ship kites, Haptic Lab has made its own Sailing Ship Kite with bamboo and nylon. It comes flat-packed and ready to assemble, and is available in six colors including the indigo shown here; $40.
Above: The Delta Kite from Haptic Lab comes with two 10-foot-long patchwork tails to fly on each side of the kite. Shown here in Multi Wind, the kite is available in five colors; $42.
Above: Etsy vendor Uplift Artisan’s Handmade Plain Kite is made in Carlsbad, California with a cotton fabric face, birch dowels, and hemp and cotton string. Leave it plain, decorate it yourself, or have Uplift Artisan print a custom message; $95.
For more summer entertaining staples, see 10 Easy Pieces: Glass Lemonade Pitchers and Design Sleuth: White Enamel Drinks Dispenser.
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