#11-4-1
The 11 nets of a cube — fold them in 3D
Counting rotations and reflections as the same, a cube has exactly 11 nets. Press “Fold” on any of them to watch it fold into a cube in 3D.
All 11 nets
#21-4-1
#31-4-1
#41-4-1
#51-4-1
#61-4-1
#72-3-1
#82-3-1
#92-3-1
#102-2-2
#113-3
Four families
- 1-4-1 (6 nets)
A row of four with one square above and one below. Six ways to place them. - 2-3-1 (3 nets)
Two, three and one squares in a staircase. - 2-2-2 (1 net)
Three steps of two squares. - 3-3 (1 net)
Two rows of three, offset.
Finding opposite faces (dice)
In a straight row, faces one apart (with one face between them) end up opposite each other. Turn on “Show dice” to number the faces so that opposite faces add up to 7 — squares of the same color are opposite. Fold it and 1–6, 2–5 and 3–4 land on opposite sides.
Shapes that are not nets
Not every shape of six squares folds into a cube: there are 35 such shapes (hexominoes) and only 11 are nets. Red squares land on top of another square when folded.
A 2×2 block puts four faces around one corner — a cube corner only has three.
Five in a row wrap all the way around and overlap.
The two squares sticking out at the top fold onto the same place.
Quick checks
- A 2×2 block means it is not a net.
- Five or more squares in a row means it is not a net.
- At most three faces meet at a corner — if two faces land on the same place when folded, it fails.
FAQ
- How many nets does a cube have?
- Eleven, counting rotations and reflections as the same.
- How many shapes of six squares are there?
- Thirty-five (hexominoes). Eleven of them fold into a cube.
- What do opposite faces of a die add up to?
- Seven: 1–6, 2–5 and 3–4.
- Which faces are opposite in a net?
- In a row of three faces, the two at the ends are opposite.
Make nets of any solid
The app unfolds Platonic and Archimedean solids — and shapes you cut or glue yourself — into printable nets with glue tabs.