tree of hexagons

Tree of Hexagons

You can make a tree out of hexagons which get smaller in size as you build the tree from bottom to top. Use stiff green paper. You can make your hexagons with a compass and straight edge:

1) Open your compass so that the two points are about 1 1/2 inches apart (or 3 1/2 or 4 cm). Draw a circle. Press the point of your compass into the paper to make a small hole in the center of the circle.

2) Keep your compass set at the same position, and place the point on the edge of the circle. Make a faint mark on the edge. Then place your compass point on this mark and make a second mark. Continue around the circle until you have made six marks. They should fit perfectly.

3) Using a straight edge, draw lines to connect these six marks to form a hexagon.
You will be cutting out the hexagon and discarding the paler green portion, but you might like to draw all of your shapes first and then cut them out at once.

Follow the same steps to make smaller and smaller hexagons. Set the compass about 1/4 inch or 1/2 cm smaller for each circle which you draw and mark. Be sure to mark the six points along the edge of each circle before you change the compass setting to draw a smaller circle. You decide how small to make your smallest circle and hexagon.

Use a pipe cleaner or a piece of yarn threaded on an embroidery needle to form the "trunk" of the tree and layer the hexagons from the largest at the base to the smallest at the top. You may use a loop of yarn or the extra length of pipe cleaner (at the top or bottom) to suspend the tree as an ornament or part of a mobile.

You can make a tree out of hexagons which get smaller in size as you build the tree from bottom to top. Use stiff green paper. You can make your hexagons with a compass and straight edge:
1) Open your compass so that the two points are about 1 1/2 inches apart (or 3 1/2 or 4 cm). Draw a circle. Press the point of your compass into the paper to make a small hole in the center of the circle.
	2) Keep your compass set at the same position, and place the point on the edge of the circle. Make a faint mark on the edge. Then place your compass point on this mark and make a second mark. Continue around the circle until you have made six marks. They should fit perfectly.
3) Using a straight edge, draw lines to connect these six marks to form a hexagon. You will be cutting out the hexagon and discarding the paler green portion, but you might like to draw all of your shapes first and then cut them out at once.
Follow the same steps to make smaller and smaller hexagons. Set the compass about 1/4 inch or 1/2 cm smaller for each circle which you draw and mark. Be sure to mark the six points along the edge of each circle before you change the compass setting to draw a smaller circle. You decide how small to make your smallest circle and hexagon.
	Use a pipe cleaner or a piece of yarn threaded on an embroidery needle to form the "trunk" of the tree and layer the hexagons from the largest at the base to the smallest at the top. You may use a loop of yarn or the extra length of pipe cleaner (at the top or bottom) to suspend the tree as an ornament or part of a mobile.