Trihexaflexagon Folding Instructions
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.
Page 1 of 6
© Simon Pampena - free for educational use within Australia
Trihexaflexagon Folding Instructions
Step Instructions
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.
Page 2 of 6
© Simon Pampena - free for educational use within Australia
Trihexaflexagon Folding Instructions
Step Instructions
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.
Page 3 of 6
© Simon Pampena - free for educational use within Australia
Trihexaflexagon Folding Instructions
Step Instructions
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.
Page 4 of 6
© Simon Pampena - free for educational use within Australia
Trihexaflexagon Folding Instructions
Step Instructions
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.
Page 5 of 6
© Simon Pampena - free for educational use within Australia
Trihexaflexagon Folding Instructions
Step Instructions
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 6 of 6
© Simon Pampena - free for educational use within Australia