Hexaflexagon Template
Print a hexaflexagon template ready to fold: a three-face trihexaflexagon or a six-face hexahexaflexagon. Give every face its own look, with 6 patterns in any two colours or a photo or drawing of your own, and the tool cuts each design into the right triangles at the right angle so it comes back together as a whole hexagon when the face turns up. Each strip prints with its back half mirrored along the long edge, so you print one side only, fold the band in half and glue: the back of every triangle lands exactly behind its front. Face numbers, triangle numbers, fold lines and glue patches are all marked, with folding steps on the page, on US Letter or A4. Download a PDF or a 300 DPI PNG. Nothing is uploaded.
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Print at 100% (Actual size) on landscape paper. Plain printer paper or light card up to about 120 gsm folds well.
How each face looks when folded
Flexagon
Faces
Marks
Runs in your browser with our own code: pictures you add are read on your device and never uploaded, and nothing is saved. Print at 100% (Actual size). You may use what you make here, including commercially, with no credit needed.
How to make a hexaflexagon
- Choose three faces (the classic first flexagon) or six faces, then paper and size.
- Pick a pattern and two colours for each face, or add a picture; the previews show how each face will look when folded.
- Download the PDF and print at 100% (Actual size), landscape.
- Cut out the strip, fold it in half along the long dashed line and glue the halves together.
- Crease every fold line, fold the strip into a hexagon as the steps on the page show, glue the tab and start flexing.
What you can use it for
- A maths or geometry lesson on folding and symmetry
- A birthday card that opens to a hidden message
- Photo flexagons with six family pictures
- A STEM club or Celebration of Mind activity
- A fidget toy to colour and fold
- Brand or event colours on a give-away toy
Hexaflexagon template sizes
| Type | Size | Triangle side | Hexagon across | Strip length | Sets per Letter page | Sets per A4 page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three faces | Large | 45 mm | 9 cm (3.54 in) | 247.5 mm | 2 | 2 |
| Three faces | Medium | 38 mm | 7.6 cm (2.99 in) | 209 mm | 2 | 2 |
| Three faces | Small | 30 mm | 6 cm (2.36 in) | 165 mm | 3 | 3 |
| Six faces | Large | 42 mm | 8.4 cm (3.31 in) | 252 mm + 210 mm | 1 | 1 |
| Six faces | Medium | 36 mm | 7.2 cm (2.83 in) | 216 mm + 180 mm | 1 | 1 |
| Six faces | Small | 30 mm | 6 cm (2.36 in) | 180 mm + 150 mm | 1 | 1 |
Pages are landscape with at least 10 mm clear at every edge. The six-face strip prints as part A and part B, which you join with the tab at the end of part A, so one set fills most of a page.
Trihexaflexagon or hexahexaflexagon?
| Three faces (trihexaflexagon) | Six faces (hexahexaflexagon) | |
|---|---|---|
| Triangles | 9 + 1 glue tab | 18 + 1 glue tab |
| Printed as | One strip | Two parts joined with a tab |
| Folding | Fold back on every third line | Coil the strip first, then fold like the three-face one |
| Faces showing | Each flex shows the next face in turn | Faces 1, 2 and 3 often; 4, 5 and 6 need flexing from a new corner |
| Good for | A first flexagon, ages about 8 and up with help | A longer puzzle once the three-face one is easy |
Which triangles make each face
| Face | Triangle sides on the three-face strip |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2, 3, 8, 9 (front); 5, 6 (back) |
| 2 | 4, 5 (front); 1, 2, 7, 8 (back) |
| 3 | 6, 7 (front); 3, 4, 9, 10 (back) |
| Face | Triangle sides on the six-face strip |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16 (front) |
| 2 | 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17 (front) |
| 3 | 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 (front) |
| 4 | 2, 7, 8, 13, 14, 19 (back) |
| 5 | 3, 4, 9, 10, 15, 16 (back) |
| 6 | 5, 6, 11, 12, 17, 18 (back) |
Triangles are numbered from the left of the strip; on the six-face strip, part B starts at triangle 11. Every one of these placements, and the angle of each picture piece, comes from simulating the folds, and our tests fold the strip again separately to check that each face reassembles.
Folding and flexing tips
- Crease every fold line both ways before you start; a flexagon that flexes stiffly usually has one soft crease.
- Glue the folded band flat and let it dry before folding the hexagon.
- If the hexagon will not open, pinch at the next corner along: only every other corner opens at any one time.
- Light card up to about 120 gsm lasts longer; heavier card cracks along the folds.
More to fold and build: the Cube Template and Box Template for 3D shapes, the Isometric Graph Paper for sketching triangle designs, and the Mandala Maker for six-way symmetric art to put on a face.
Paper to print on
| Paper | Weight | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Printer paper | 80 to 90 gsm (about 21 to 24 lb bond) | Easy folding; the band is doubled, so it is stronger than it looks |
| Light card | 110 to 120 gsm (about 41 to 44 lb cover) | A flexagon that stands up to lots of flexing |
| Heavy card | 200 gsm and up (about 74 lb cover and up) | Not recommended: too stiff once doubled |
Pound figures are worked out from grams per square metre (1 lb bond is about 3.76 gsm; 1 lb cover is about 2.71 gsm).
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Frequently asked questions
What is a hexaflexagon?
A hexaflexagon is a hexagon folded from a strip of paper triangles. When you pinch it and open it from the middle, it turns inside out and shows a face that was hidden. A trihexaflexagon has three faces and a hexahexaflexagon has six.
How many triangles does a hexaflexagon need?
A trihexaflexagon uses a strip of 10 equal triangles: 9 that make the faces and 1 glue tab. A hexahexaflexagon uses 19: 18 for the faces and 1 glue tab. The six-face strip is printed in two parts with a join tab so it fits on one page.
How do you fold a trihexaflexagon?
Fold the printed band in half lengthwise and glue it. Crease every line, then hold it with triangle 1 on the left and fold the strip back on the lines after triangles 3 and 6. It winds into a hexagon; lay triangle 9 over triangle 1, fold the tab under and glue it to triangle 1.
How do you fold a hexahexaflexagon?
First fold the long strip so the matching back faces meet, 4 on 4, 5 on 5 and 6 on 6. It coils into a shorter, thicker strip. Then fold that strip like a trihexaflexagon, back on every third line, until face 1 is on top and face 2 underneath, and glue the tab.
How do you flex a hexaflexagon?
Pinch two neighbouring triangles together so the hexagon forms a three-pointed star, push the opposite corner in, and open the centre like a flower. If it will not open, try the next corner along.
Can I put my own pictures on the faces?
Yes. Add a picture to any face and it is cut into six triangles, each turned the right way, so the whole picture shows when that face comes up. The picture is cropped from the middle to fill the hexagon. It never leaves your device.
Why does a face sometimes look scrambled?
That is part of the puzzle. The triangles of a face can come back in a different arrangement after some flexes, with the corners that met in the middle now on the outside. The picture lines up in the arrangement shown in the face previews; flex on to find it again.
Why do I not see faces 4, 5 and 6?
On a six-face flexagon, faces 1, 2 and 3 turn up most often. To reach the others, flex once from one corner, then turn the flexagon over or move to a neighbouring corner before flexing again.
Who invented the hexaflexagon?
Arthur H. Stone found the first flexagon in 1939 at Princeton while folding strips of paper. Martin Gardner made them famous in his Scientific American column in December 1956.
Is it free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The template, and any picture you add, is drawn by JavaScript in your browser and nothing leaves your device. Nothing is saved when you close the page.