The Waitati artist has always woven flax, after learning the craft from her mother, grandmother and aunts as a child.
She started carving Oamaru stone about 10 years ago, and has spent the past five months making kites.
"I just wanted to do something different. I wanted to branch out," she said.
Her first kite, made from toetoe, flax, paua shell and feathers, is on display in Lower Stuart St, Dunedin, and took about two days to make.
To learn the background of Maori kite making, she borrowed a book from the library, but most of the technique came from experience.
Maori used kites, known as manu taratahi (manu meaning bird and taratahi meaning to one point), during matariki festivities, she said.
Miss Proffit wanted to continue making the kites, with her own contemporary twist, and "get people's attention with different things".
