Hexaflexagon Folding Instructions

  1. First cut out the printed shape.
  2. Fold the shape in half lengthways. You should now have a single triangle wide strip printed on both sides.
  3. Find the end of your strip that matches the two triangles at the top end of Figure i. Certain custom image combinations can make it difficult to work out which end this is. If this happens notice that the back side of the top of the strip should be GLUE X.
  4. Fold the top two triangles away from you, along the dotted line. Afterwards your strip should look like the right hand picture in Figure i.
  5. Next, fold the top portion away from you, along the dotted line in the left hand image of Figure ii. Again, you should end up with the right hand image.
  6. Folding away along the line in the right image in Figure ii should leave you with Figure iii. Fold top sections away from yourself along the dotted lines.
  7. Continue in this manner, folding two triangles at a time, until you again have a single strip. The two sides of the strip should look like the top and bottom rows in Figure iv. If you're having trouble, the folds in this section should all be the same way, a wrapping pattern rather than a zigzag.
  8. Flip the flexagon so you're looking at the bottom row of Figure iv. As usual along the dotted line, fold the right hand side away from you. Reorient the flexagon so it is in the same position as seen in Figure v. Check the bottom right triangle to ensure it matches the image. If everything apart from this triangle is correct, you've folded in the right place, but folded the wrong way.
  9. Fold the top section away from you in the usual manner. You should now have a nearly complete picture as seen in Figure vi.
  10. Underneath the lower-left triangle (it will be the only one that is not from Image1) you will see the other end of the strip with the second glue tab on it. Lift it up and over the aforementioned lower left triangle. The two glue triangles should be next to each other as seen in Figure vii.
  11. Fold the left glue tab over and stick it to the other one (A small piece of doubled over tape works well for us)
  12. Flex away!

You may find the hexaflexagon a little stiff at first, but it should soften with age.

Comments and suggestions are most welcome!

©2002,2012 Peter Bradshaw