Trihexaflexagon Folding Instructions

Trihexaflexagon Folding Instructions

Page 1 of 5 Simon Pampena - free for educational use within Australia

Step

Instructions

0

Make sure you have the following materials

Scissors

Dry Glue Stick

1

Cut out the trihexaflexagon template and fold along the centre line.

2

Glue the insides of the folded paper together to reveal a strip of paper with images on the front and back.

3

Start folding the strip along the line of triangles. Begin on the side with words GLUE printed either end. FOLD the triangle with GLUE written on it IN towards the next triangle. If you have folded it correctly, you will no longer be able to see the word GLUE.

4

The next fold will need to be in the opposite direction, FOLDING UNDER the neighbouring triangle.

5

Continue folding, switching between FOLDING IN and FOLDING UNDER adjacent triangles.

6

FOLD UNDER the next triangle. Make sure the spring of triangles you are folding is as neat as possible.

7

FOLD IN towards the next triangle. Each fold should be straight and sharp.

8

If you have started at the GLUE triangle next to an eye then whenever the eye triangle appears you should FOLD UNDER the next triangle.

9

FOLD IN

10

FOLD UNDER.

11

FOLD IN the last two triangles together to complete your spring.

12

Unfold your triangular spring. You should now have five inward creases called VALLEY FOLDS and four outward creases called MOUNTAIN FOLDS.

13

Turn your strip over so each VALLEY FOLD becomes a MOUNTAIN FOLD and visa-versa.

14

Make sure your strip is around the right way by finding the mouth and whiskers of the cat. Find the MOUNTAIN FOLD between the cat mouth and an eye in a triangle. FOLD UNDER along the crease.

15

With a small turn, your paper strip should now look like the letter V. You should also be able to see 2/3 of the cat face forming at the bottom of the V.

16

Look for another MOUNTAIN FOLD above the right ear of the cat face. FOLD UNDER the top right of the V to reveal the left ear of the cat face.

17

The cat face is nearly complete. FOLD IN the two leftmost triangles along a VALLEY FOLD. The strip should now have formed a hexagon.

18

The cat face should have a GLUE triangle covering the left ear. If you turn the hexagon over, you should see the monster face with another GLUE triangle. To complete the flexagon, use dry-glue on the GLUE triangles and slip one under the other sealing them together.

19

The complete cat face will have alternating VALLEY and MOUNTAIN FOLDS around the centre.

20

By following the creases in your flexagon, you will be able to bring together three VALLEY FOLDS inwards while at the same time pushing three MOUNTAIN FOLDS outwards. This will bring the cat face together into three pinched ridges.

21

When all three ridges are fully pinched together the centre of the flexagon will start to open. With gentle guidance you can reveal a new face of the flexagon.

22

The new face will also have the same MOUNTAIN and VALLEY FOLDS.

23

With your new face, repeat the flexing instructions from 20 to 22. This will reveal the last face of the Trihexaflexagon.

If you flex again you will arrive back at the cat face.

24

Finally, you can draw in extra features and see what happens when they are flexed. It can be anything you want noses, beards, glasses or even an eyepatch. Let your imagination run wild!

Simon Pampena - free for educational use within Australia

Page 2 of 6 Simon Pampena - free for educational use within Australia