How to make a hexaflexagon

This is another magic pocket study tool I teach my students how to make. It is what is called a trihexaflexagon, which means basically a hexagon you can turn inside out to reveal a total of 3 complete faces (or sides of the paper). They put notes on these things and keep them in their pockets to make use of those odd bits of otherwise wasted time during the day (watching commercials during Channel One, waiting for the Pledge of Allegiance, after you finish your classwork...). Find enough odd bits of time, and you are done studying before you ever even get home! Now go have fun!

This is my second instructable. Clearly the first one wasn't exciting enough to win me a T-shirt... (-;

Step 1 Materials

For this project, you need a sheet of paper, a ruler, a protractor, scissors, and glue.

Comments

[freakyqwerty]

You should try some other variations and post ibles on how to make those!

[sofialicky123]

your right! i do too!why??

[Michael Pawlicki]

it didnt say anything about a compass in the materials

[LiMiT-L3sS]

Dont listen to the dude who made this instructable he got mixed up or he's Brittash

[nerdnurture]

Why do my commenters always assume I'm a man? 

*gasp*

Do I have man-hands??? 

[LiMiT-L3sS]

sorri plz repli

[nerdnurture]

No prob! (-:

[LiMiT-L3sS]

sorry i always say that to anyone OK nerdnurture

[nerdnurture]

Hey, I've already confessed my compass crime.  But just in case you're holding it against me because you don't have a compass, you can make your own with a thumbtack, a strip of cardboard, and a pencil.  Maybe the subject of my next instructable, if I ever have time!

[mushroom1225]

Im confused, did you take the pictures off, because there not on my computer

[KDB955]

Would you guys pay attention!!!1!
He keeps telling you he's female.
Besides, only girls read  L'Engle.

[ktpjfarrell]

 This is the first comment I have made!

What you are using is a pair of compasses!  A compass will get you home but is not a lot of use for drawing circles - I should be a teacher.

[ktpjfarrell]

 I know, but I was reading through the comments and couldn't resist saying something - the basic point about how clever the flexagon actually is was buried which just made it funny - I mean you no harm!

[nerdnurture]

Oh for crying out loud.  Again with the compass?

I have confessed my crime.

Yes, you should be a teacher.  Because that's all there is to it - just knowing the difference between a compass and a protractor.

[w00t ._.]

Why can't we just make a dot below the mid point of the 4 cm dots, instead of making those crosses?

[Salsa766]

 omg i just finished an exam today on symbiosis!

[mightywombat]

This is interesting, though I think probably more useful for elementary or high school study guides. I'm having a hard time seeing where I might use this for anything at the college level. Still, very cool flexagon!

[hellogeek]

be thankfull he put it on google

[nerdnurture]

he's a she.  (-;

[Rock Soldier]

I love when people do that, except in real life, I'd have to say, She's a he.
(I have long hair. I get mistaken for a girl sometimes)

[dagenius]

google?
this is instructables.

[LuckazMARTINS]

Try  YOSHIMOTO CUBE
 

[andygold]

I used to make hexa-hexa flexagons.  They had 6 separate faces,  numbered 1 through 6.  Normally all you get was faces 1 through 4 to show up in a row, but I figured out how to get them from 1 to 6 in order without having to go through any other faces.

I still have some of them tucked away in a drawer since I was a kid.  Don't know why i saved them, but I've had them for 40 years.

[cojo]

BEASTIE

[Mikey D]

Too cool!

We used to make these in Elemmentary school about a billion years ago.  We actually got up to a duo-decka-Hexa-flexagon (20 sides if I remember corerectly) but alas I have forgotton how to fold them.  We used adding machine paper and no guideline  but they worked fine.

I have brought this up in conversations many many times but no one seemed to know what I was talking about.  :-(.

Thank you for posting this!

Mikey

[nerdnurture]

Because clearly I don't know the difference between a compass and a protractor. I should have called it a circle thingie.   I should be relieved of my duties.  (-; 

[Colne Fawkes]

 why do you say protractor, but have a compass?

[rymagiccraft123]

that is so hard !!!!!!

[llamadudeguy]

this is so cool! ima show it 2 all my friends. + i voted u

[mikemmcmeans]

make a video

[nerdnurture]

Video wasn't working on the gooseneck in my classroom. Sorry if the pictures don't suffice. My students are able to understand these instructions, so I don't really care to redo the whole process again just to make a video. Sorry. Someone else can do it if they really want to. (-;

[hellogeek]

I like your instructions and some people just don't have your classmates cinnda tallent. p.s im not trying to be mean guys

[casey321b]

I'll figure it out and make one

[Arbitror]

A printable pdf would be nice.

[nerdnurture]

It sure would, but part of the point of this project, for my students anyway, is to follow directions and study the geometry. There are places online where you can print templates. But I wanted to show how to make your own.

[kibbler]

Yeah, but what about people who look for cool stuff to do without a lot of effort? (like me)

[nerdnurture]

you can google hexaflexagon template and print away. But you probably can't find another set of instructions to mathematically construct your very own. Sorry. Not giving in on this one... LOL (-;

[robocrazy155]

awesome! I found a site with instructions for a flexagon with 4 sides though more it's complicated

Four Faced Flexagon

[robocrazy155]

(Though it's more complicated) sorry

[nerdnurture]

Thank you for the link! Very interesting.