The traditional toy bamboo dragonfly is made as follows:

Preparation tools:

A piece of wood, about 20 cm long, 3 cm wide and 0.5 cm wide Thick (actually it is better to use bamboo slices, but wood is easier to get.) A small wooden stick, cylindrical, about 25 cm long, about 3 mm in diameter (slowly chip it from wood or bamboo, and make it as even as possible. It is best to prepare a longer and sharp tool first (please pay attention to safety). Glue (not necessary), fine sandpaper (a must for those who strive for perfection).

Production method:

First make a hole in the wood piece, control the diameter, and make it slightly smaller than the small wooden stick. The back side is also processed in the same way, so that the wood becomes an inclined surface. Do the same for the other end, and then fix the small wooden stick into the hole you just made. If it feels loose, use glue.

Extended information:

The bamboo dragonfly is one of the traditional Chinese folk children's toys and is widely circulated. The bamboo dragonfly consists of two parts. One is the bamboo handle. The second is "wings". When playing, rub your hands together and then loosen them, and the bamboo dragonfly will fly into the sky, spin for a while, and then fall down.

It is a very exquisite little invention in ancient China. This simple and magical toy once amazed Western missionaries and called it the "Chinese Spiral". In the 1930s, the Germans invented the helicopter propeller based on the shape and principle of the "bamboo dragonfly".