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Bettesworth Construction
3D Printing

Go Make a Tyvek Kite: Build the Maker-Fish

Make a no-sew Tyvek Maker-Fish kite with a fiberglass frame, 3D-printed fittings and one tow point. See the materials, assembly steps and wind guidance.

By Bettesworth Construction Team 4 min read
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Build the no-sew Maker-Fish from a Tyvek sail, two fiberglass rods and 3D-printed fittings. The design uses a single tow point—not an adjustable bridle—and Make: recommends flying it in smooth Beaufort 2–4 winds, about 4–12 mph. Its project page rates the build Easy, estimates 2–3 hours and $9–$10 per kite; those are Make: estimates, not independently verified results. Make: project instructions.

What you’ll need

Make:’s Maker-Fish is a hard-structured kite: a Tyvek sail is supported by a fiberglass frame, with 3D-printed plastic fittings adhered to the sail. The center fitting creates a curved nose, and ribbon tails give the fish its moving-body effect. The project specifies Tyvek 8740D and 1.5 mm fiberglass rods.

  • One 425 mm length of 1.5 mm fiberglass rod for the spine, and one 670 mm length for the bowed spreader.
  • PLA or PETG filament for the fittings, plus a printer or 3D-printing service.
  • 3M 300LSE pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet.
  • Poster board, a glue stick, repositionable spray adhesive and the four-page PDF template.
  • Flying line on a winder handle, surveyor’s ribbon and tape for the tails.
  • A craft knife, straightedge, cutting mat or heavy cardboard, ruler, fine sandpaper, 70% isopropyl alcohol and cyanoacrylate glue.

Make: says one 36-by-48-inch sheet of Tyvek yields six sails. The project notes that Tyvek and fiberglass rods can be difficult to buy in small quantities and names Fortuna Found as a kit source; its current inventory and terms are not established here.

Choose substitutes by fit and availability

Tyvek envelopes from Priority Mail, FedEx or UPS may work, but you may need to tape several pieces together to reach the pattern size. Make: warns that Tyvek HomeWrap is too heavy for this kite. Another option is 3-mil polyethylene film, such as a trash bag or reusable grocery bag; two pieces must be joined for the full sail. The project does not establish that these alternatives fly identically to the specified Tyvek.

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Either PLA or PETG is suitable for the fittings. Project author Lindsey Johnson prefers PETG because it is more flexible and handles impacts better, but the article gives no comparative test results. A self-healing cutting mat is preferred; heavy cardboard or poster board can serve as a work surface. For the tails, Make: lists half-inch white paper tape, mailing labels or frosty tape.

Prepare the full-size pattern and sail

  1. Print the four template pages at actual size. Use letter or A4 paper and turn off “fit to sheet” or other scaling. Join the pages, then attach the pattern to poster board with repositionable spray adhesive to make a three-layer template. The full-size pattern is essential for the fittings and rod lengths to align.
  2. Cut the sail. Trace the template on Tyvek and cut it with a craft knife and straightedge. Make: says six sails fit on a 36-by-48-inch sheet.
  3. Decorate before assembly. Sharpie and other alcohol-based markers are suitable. Make: cautions that solvent-based industrial markers may pucker Tyvek, while water-based markers will not dry on it. Acrylic paint is another option; the project points to Fortuna Found for additional painting tips.

Print and attach the fittings

The fittings can be printed in PLA or PETG, or produced by a 3D-printing service. Johnson says the project parts were printed on a Prusa MK4 using stock filament and speed profiles; a Prusa printer is not a requirement. Make: recommends stock profiles, slower printing and a smooth build sheet. A textured sheet may leave the fitting surface less suitable for adhesive grip.

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For horizontal holes, Johnson suggests adding a small roof over the circle in the model to limit sagging that could constrict the opening for the rod. The article gives this as a printing tip, not a required change to every printer or model.

  1. Clean the bottoms of the printed fittings with 70% isopropyl alcohol and let them dry.
  2. Cut 3M 300LSE adhesive sheet to fit each fitting. Keep the adhesive clear of the holes.
  3. Apply and firmly burnish the adhesive onto the fittings.
  4. Use the template’s center creases and alignment holes to position the fittings on the sail, then press them into place.

Fit the frame, tow point and tails

  1. Install the rods. Cut 425 mm for the spine and 670 mm for the spreader from 1.5 mm fiberglass rod. Run the spine through the center and nose fittings into the bottom fitting. Insert the spreader into the center and corner fittings and balance its bow.
  2. Make the tow-point connector. Cut about 350 mm of flying line and tie a figure-eight knot near each end. Thread it through the two holes in the center fitting. Attach the flying line to this connector with a lark’s head hitch. The design uses this one tow point rather than an adjustable bridle.
  3. Make four ribbon tails. Cut two outer ribbons at three times the spine length and two center ribbons at six times the spine length. Use knotted line loops and tape to attach them. Join the two center ribbons, then fit one short and one center tail into each corner fitting.
  4. Prepare the flying line. Make: describes a 100-meter winder handle—enough line for three kites. Cut about one third of the line, make a loop at each end, attach one loop to the handle and the other to the tow point, then wind the line onto the handle.

Fly in smooth wind and open space

Johnson writes that the Maker-Fish “likes smooth winds in the Beaufort 2 to 4 range (about 4 to 12mph).” Gusty conditions make it lively. Choose a wide open beach, park or schoolyard clear of trees, buildings and power lines.

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For a helper launch, the helper should stand behind the kite and clear of its tails while the flyer walks back about 20 feet and gives the line a light pull. For a solo launch, Make: suggests using steady wind and feeding the line through your fingers; it cautions against this technique with bigger kites.

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Source and project estimates

The build details and flight guidance above come from Lindsey Johnson’s Make: project page, displayed as April 17, 2026 (the page also displays April 16, 2026): “Go Make a Tyvek Kite!”. Its Easy rating, 2–3-hour time estimate and $9–$10-per-kite price estimate are the project page’s figures; they are not independent measurements or a guarantee of current material costs.

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