Introduction: Christmas Craft Activity - How to Make a Flying Christmas Tree
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About: I'm all about Making and Mental Health. Reach out if you need a chat - find me on Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, Tumblr and Twitter as @KitemanX.
Here's a simple Make that's a change from the traditional seasonal time-filler of making cards and decorations - at first glance it's a decoration, but really it's a flying toy.
It is also suitable for a class activity, for most age-groups from Primary to High School, depending on how you present it and how much mess you're willing to put up with.
Step 1: What You Need
You will need:
- a straw (School teachers: "art straws" are good here, because one straw can make two trees, and glue-stick will stick to them)
- plain paper - white is fine, but green would save you some colouring in.
- scissors
- ruler
- pencil
- clear sticky tape
- glue stick
- pencils or pens to decorate the tree
Step 2: Making the Wings, Er, Branches
The direct ancestor of the Flying Christmas Tree is the Hoopster - each "wing" is actually a loop or paper.
The exact number of wings is something of a personal aesthetic choice, but the best option is usually three. Each wing is a strip of paper approximately a centimetre wide (half an inch), varying in length from about 10cm to about 20cm. The smallest wing goes at the front, the largest at the back.
The exact number of wings is something of a personal aesthetic choice, but the best option is usually three. Each wing is a strip of paper approximately a centimetre wide (half an inch), varying in length from about 10cm to about 20cm. The smallest wing goes at the front, the largest at the back.
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Now is also the time to decorate your tree. Use your chosen medium to draw on baubles, streamers and stars along the length of the strips. I strongly recommend not to add actual decorations, though, unless they are very light sequins or sticky-paper stars.
Step 3: Adding the Wings
I used a 20cm length of paper art straw. To add balancing weight to the front, I folded a few centimetres over and glued it down.
The largest wing goes all the way at the end of the straw, flush, so that the tree can stand as a decoration.
The others are glued along the "trunk", so that they look pleasing you your eye.
Step 4: Done!
The tree is now ready.
You can either keep it as a decoration, standing it in the corner of your desk, or use it for its intended purpose, and throw it overhand, like a glider than a dart.
You can either keep it as a decoration, standing it in the corner of your desk, or use it for its intended purpose, and throw it overhand, like a glider than a dart.
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15 Comments
11 years ago on Introduction
I would love to have a Christmas kite. I suppose it would be easier to do as a low aspect delta rather than the concentric hoops though.
11 years ago on Introduction
I made something like this but with a two-loop design. The kids in the Applied Sciences class i assisted in loved it, and covered the room with them.
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
Something like this?
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
Exactly.
12 years ago on Introduction
Could it be made large enough to be kite? What materials would we need?
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
I might fly as-is!
Tie on a thread between the top two loops, add a tail, maybe six feet of wool, see how you go.
12 years ago on Introduction
I made this in a engineering club two years ago
12 years ago on Introduction
I did this in maths class :)
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
Really?
Dang, and I thought I'd invented them myself...
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
Nothing wrong with reinventing the wheel -- it's been done before!
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
Well, nice stuff! I thought that this was some sort of breakthrough when I did this, it looked alien!
12 years ago on Introduction
the 1st time I saw a design like this was at a YES concert in the Phildelphia Pa Spectrum... a looong looooooooong time ago, they were made from disposable cups and a couple were on fire as they drifted down from the upper tiers
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
Groovy...
12 years ago on Introduction
Was this maybe inspired by the Christmas tree rocket?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCjHV63MQ4w
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
Alas, no.