How to Draw a Regular Hexagon with Only a Ruler

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Need to draw a hexagon but don't have a compass or round object to use? Don't worry - once you know how, all you need is a straight edge. Grab a ruler, pencil and paper!

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Starting with the Center Point and Side length

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  1. 1
    Plot the center point of your hexagon and decide how long you want each side to be. Label this length "S".[1]
    How.com.vn English: 6gon_step 0.png
  2. 2
    Plot 2 points on the vertical axis, S distance away from the center point. These points can be "A" and "B".[2]
    How.com.vn English: 6gon_step 1.png
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  3. 3
    Find the points halfway between the center point and A and the center point and B. There, plot perpendicular guide lines. (You'll erase these later, so don't make them dark.) As a side note, the distance between the two guide lines is also equal to S.
    How.com.vn English: 6gon_step 2.png
  4. 4
    Draw 2 more guide lines that are equal to the length of 2S, or line AB, from each perpendicular line to the other so that they run through the center point. The point where the guide lines intersect are the last 4 points of the hexagon. (These can be called CD and EF.)
    How.com.vn English: 6gon_step 3.png
  5. 5
    Connect the dots between the points and erase the guide lines. Congrats!
    How.com.vn English: 6gon_step 4.png
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Starting from One Side and Using its Length

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  1. 1
    Draw and measure one line. This will be the first side (and S length).
    How.com.vn English: 6gon2_step 1.png
  2. 2
    Draw 2 perpendicular guide lines at each end of the side extending in the direction you want your hexagon by at least 2S.
    How.com.vn English: 6gon2_step 2.png
  3. 3
    Draw 2 more guide lines, each the length of 2S, from the end points of your first side to the perpendicular guide line of the opposing point. Draw a line between the points where they intersect. This is your second side.
    How.com.vn English: 6gon2_step 3.png
  4. 4
    Find the point halfway between these 2 sides. Draw one last guide line parallel to the sides.
    How.com.vn English: 6gon2_step 4a.png
  5. 5
    Mark where the center point between the horizontal guide lines is, on the vertical guide line. Then mark the line S length away from it to the top and bottom.
    How.com.vn English: 6gon2_step 4.png
  6. 6
    Connect these points to the ends of the drawn sides. Erase the guide lines. Congrats!
    How.com.vn English: 6gon_step 4.png
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      Tips

      • The distance between the center point and the points A, B, C, D, E, or F will be equal to S.[3]
      • You can use a dotted or grid paper to make drawing easier.
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      About This Article

      How.com.vn is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 11 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 154,839 times.
      279 votes - 66%
      Co-authors: 11
      Updated: March 17, 2024
      Views: 154,839
      Categories: Drawing Shapes
      Article SummaryX

      Don’t worry if you don’t have a compass and you need to draw a hexagon, since you can draw one with a ruler and a pencil. Start by drawing a dot for the middle of your hexagon. Then, draw a faint line of the same length above and below the dot and mark the ends of the lines with dots. Next, draw a faint horizontal line halfway between your central dot and each of the dots at the end of the vertical lines. Make the length the same as the vertical lines. Mark another dot at the end of each horizontal line. Then, connect those dots in a cross going through the central dot. Finally, draw straight lines between all of the dots to make your hexagon shape and erase the faint lines in the middle. For more tips, including how to draw a hexagon starting with one side, read on!

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      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 154,839 times.

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