How to make a tangram

All you need to make a tangram is one square sheet of paper and scissors. Here, step by step with pictures, is how to fold one without a ruler, and how to make a neat one by drawing the lines with a template or a grid.

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12 ways to make one

A tangram is a square cut into 2 big triangles, 1 middle triangle, 2 small triangles, 1 square and 1 parallelogram: 7 pieces in all. However you make it, once you have these 7, you are done.

Fold it from paper

All you need is a square sheet of paper and scissors. Origami paper works too. Fold and cut 6 times and you have all 7 pieces, with no ruler.

Use a template or a grid

You cut along drawn lines, so the shapes come out neat and even. Use a printed template, or draw the lines with a ruler on grid paper. Glue it to card and it will be sturdy.

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2Fold it from paper

For a neat result, crease firmly, unfold, and cut along the crease. In the pictures, the dotted lines are creases and the coloured parts are the pieces that step makes.

  1. 1Fold on the diagonal and cut

    Fold the square sheet corner to corner into a triangle. Crease it firmly, unfold it, and cut along the crease with scissors. You now have 2 triangles.

  2. 2Fold one triangle in half and cut

    Take one of the triangles, fold it in half with its sharp points together, and cut along the crease. That gives you 2 big triangles.

  3. 3Fold the right-angled corner to the middle

    For the other triangle, first bring the two ends of the long side lightly together and make a small crease at the middle. Then fold the right-angled corner to that middle point. Cut along the crease and you have the middle triangle. What is left is a trapezoid.

  4. 4Cut the trapezoid in half

    Fold the trapezoid in half so its 2 equal slanted sides line up exactly, and cut along the crease. You get 2 shapes that match when one is flipped over.

  5. 5Bring the ends of the longest side together

    Take one of the halves and fold it so the corners at the two ends of its longest side meet. Cut along the crease and you have a small triangle and the square.

  6. 6On the other half, lay the short sides together

    Fold the other half so its 2 equal short sides line up exactly. Cut along the crease and you have a small triangle and the parallelogram. That makes all 7 pieces.

Once they are cut, lay out the 7 pieces and check that they make the original square again. If they do, you got it right.

With origami paper coloured on one side only, the white side shows when you flip the parallelogram. It makes no difference to playing. If it bothers you, use paper coloured on both sides.

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3Use a template or a grid

Use a printed template

You can print the tangram template free. It has the cutting lines for an 8 cm square, 2 sets to a sheet of A4 paper. There is a colour version and a black-and-white one to colour in. Cut along the lines with scissors and you are done. When printing, choose "Actual size" (100%). "Fit to page" makes it smaller than 8 cm.

Print the template free

Draw lines on a grid

No template? Divide the square into a grid of 4 squares each way, and 6 lines will cut it into 7 pieces. Every line simply joins corners of the grid squares.

  1. Draw a diagonal from the top-right corner to the bottom-left corner
  2. From the top-left corner to the centre of the square
  3. From the middle of the right side to the middle of the bottom side
  4. From the centre to the point one square diagonally down and to the right
  5. From the middle of the right side to the point one square diagonally up and to the left
  6. Along the first horizontal line up from the bottom, from 1 square in from the left to 3 squares in
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On paper printed with a 1 cm grid, such as craft paper, count 2 squares as 1 and you get an 8 cm square tangram.

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4Choosing a size

A tangram works at any size. Make it an 8 cm square and you can lay the pieces straight on the silhouettes of the full-size pages in Puzzle Lounge's puzzle sheets.

Side of the squareOne grid squareGood for
8cm2cmPlaying on the full-size puzzle pages
12cm3cmA size small children can hold easily
15cm3.75cmMaking it from standard origami paper (folding suits this size best)
16cm4cmMaking big shapes on a table

Standard 15 cm origami paper makes a set bigger than the silhouettes on the full-size pages. To play on those pages, use small 7.5 cm origami paper (a little smaller than the silhouettes), or cut an 8 cm square from 15 cm paper before folding.

With an 8 cm square, the longest side of a big triangle is 8 cm, the long side of the middle triangle is about 5.7 cm, the long side of a small triangle is 4 cm, a side of the square is about 2.8 cm, and the sides of the parallelogram are 4 cm and about 2.8 cm.

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5Making it last

  • Glue it to card before cuttingSpread glue over the whole of the printed template or ruled paper and stick it to card or cardboard. Let the glue dry well before cutting, so nothing slips.
  • Use a craft knife on thick cardIf it is too thick to cut easily with scissors, cut it with a craft knife against a ruler, on a cutting mat. Small children should use scissors and knives with an adult.
  • Make it from woodStick the template to a thin board about 2 to 4 mm thick (plywood or MDF) and cut along the lines with a fretsaw. Sand the edges and corners smooth, paint it, and you are done. This takes a saw, so it is a job for adults. In wood, a square with 12 to 16 cm sides is an easy size to handle.
  • Make it from magnetic sheetStick the template to a magnetic sheet before cutting, and you can play on a whiteboard or fridge. A sheet thin enough to cut with scissors is easiest to use.
  • Colour it inWith the black-and-white template, you can colour the 7 pieces however you like. The parallelogram sometimes gets flipped, so colouring both sides the same makes it easier to use.

Making a lot for a class

  • How many to printThe template has 2 sets to a sheet of A4 paper. For 30 people, print 15 sheets, without enlarging or reducing.
  • Keep the sets apartBefore cutting, write a name or mark on the back of each set, or print each set on a different colour of paper. Hand out the 7 cut pieces in an envelope or small bag and they are harder to lose.
  • For repeated usePrint on card, or laminate before cutting along the lines. The pieces will then stand up to being used again and again without bending.

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6Once it's made, play

Play with the puzzle sheets

The puzzle sheets include full-size pages for laying an 8 cm square set straight on top, and pages of answers. Printing is free.

Choose from the list of puzzles

See 500 silhouettes and their answers, from animals to vehicles and people. Try making the silhouette on the screen with the pieces you made.

Learn the rules and tips

Turning is fine, flipping is fine, overlapping is not. The rules and how to solve are in How to play tangram, with tips.

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7Questions

Can I make one from a single sheet of origami paper?

Yes. Just fold and cut a square sheet of origami paper and you have all 7 pieces. You don't need a ruler either.

Can I make one without scissors?

Yes. Fold each crease firmly back and forth a few times, and you can carefully tear the pieces apart by hand. The edges come out a little rough, but that does not get in the way of playing.

What size should I make it?

Any size works. Make it an 8 cm square and you can lay the pieces straight on the silhouettes of the full-size puzzle pages.

How do the sizes of the 7 pieces compare?

If the area of a small triangle is 1, the square, the middle triangle and the parallelogram are 2 each, and a big triangle is 4. All 7 together come to 16, which is the original square.

Which way round should I make the parallelogram?

Either way is fine. Tangram pieces may be flipped, so a paper one can simply be turned over.

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Print the template →
Print the puzzle sheets →

Play tangram →