Printable Cube Net Template

How to use the template

This is a printable cube net (dice net) with glue tabs. Choose the net, size and faces above, and it prints exactly as the preview shows.

1. Pick a net: choose any of the 11 nets of a cube. If it’s your first time, the cross shape (a row of four with one square above and one below) is the easiest to fold. “All 11” prints every net, numbered.
2. Pick a size: the side length of the finished cube, from ¾ in to 1¾ in (about 2 to 4.5 cm). Smaller cubes fit several to a page.
3. Pick the faces: dice dots, the numbers 1 to 6, or blank faces to write or draw on.
4. Press “Print”: cut along the solid lines and fold along the dotted lines. See “How to make a paper cube” below.

Printing at actual size

• The template fits both US Letter and A4 paper in portrait. Set the scale to 100% (“Actual size”) in the print dialog. “Fit to page” or “Shrink to fit” makes it slightly smaller.
• The line in the bottom-left corner of the page is exactly 2 inches (5.08 cm) long when the scale is right. Check it with a ruler.
• If the date or the page address appears in the corners, turn off “Headers and footers” in the print dialog.
• To save it as a PDF, choose “Save as PDF” as the printer. On an iPhone or iPad, tap the share button on the print screen and choose “Save to Files”.
• If pressing “Print” on a phone doesn’t bring up the print screen (for example, when the page is open inside another app), open it in Safari or Chrome.

How to make a paper cube

You’ll need scissors, glue (white craft glue or double-sided tape) and a ruler.

1. Cut it out: cut along the outer solid line, tabs and all. Cut the slanted corners of the tabs too.
2. Score the folds: lay a ruler along each dotted line and run an empty ballpoint pen along it. The folds will come out straight and crisp.
3. Fold every line the same way: fold all the dotted lines so the printed side ends up on the outside, both between faces and between a face and a tab.
4. Glue the tabs: put glue on a tab and stick it to the inside of the face next to it. Hold each one until it sets before moving on, so the corners stay lined up.
5. Close the last face: once everything else is glued, put glue on the tabs around the last open face and close it like a lid, pressing from the outside.

Tips for a neat cube

• Paper: plain copy paper works, but cardstock makes a much sturdier cube. If your printer can’t take thick paper, print on plain paper, glue it onto cardstock and then cut it out.
• Glue: glue sticks tend to come apart on cardstock. White craft glue or double-sided tape holds better. A little glue is enough, so it doesn’t squeeze out.
• Small cubes (¾ in) have small tabs too. Spread the glue with a toothpick, or hold the tabs with fine tweezers.

Sizes and how many fit on a page

• Without glue tabs, some nets fit one more to a page. To build a cube without tabs, tape the edges together with clear tape (tape the last face from the outside).
• For a bigger cube, enlarge the 1¾ in template on a copier: 141% on A3 paper gives about 2½ in (6.3 cm), and 129% on Tabloid (11×17 in) gives about 2¼ in (5.7 cm).
• All 11 nets is handy for checking for yourself why a cube has exactly 11 nets: fold them all and compare. The dice dots come out right on every net, so you can also check that opposite faces add up to 7.

The 11 nets of a cube

A cube has 11 different nets, grouped by how many squares are in each row: 1-4-1 (nets 1–6) has a row of four with one square above and one below, 2-3-1 (nets 7–9) has rows of two, three and one, 2-2-2 (net 10) is a staircase of three pairs, and 3-3 (net 11) is two rows of three. The numbers match the buttons above and the numbers printed on the “All 11” pages.

Nets that match after turning or flipping count as the same net, so the template may turn a net sideways to fit more on a page.

Dots on a die

On a standard die, opposite faces add up to 7: 1 is opposite 6, 2 is opposite 5, and 3 is opposite 4. On this template, the dots are placed so that every net folds into a die laid out this way. The 1 is large and red, as on many Japanese dice.

Working out which faces end up opposite on a net is a classic geometry and spatial reasoning question. In the Cube Nets puzzle, you can watch each net fold up on screen while you practice finding opposite faces and matching edges.

FAQ

Is it really free?

Yes. There’s no sign-up, and you can print as many copies as you like.

Can I use it in my class?

Yes. You’re welcome to print it and hand it out at home, at school, in after-school clubs or for activities at care homes. Please don’t sell the template or include it in published or commercial materials.

Why does it print smaller?

Check that the scale in the print dialog isn’t set to “Fit to page” or “Default”, and set it to 100% (“Actual size”). The 2-inch line in the bottom-left corner shows whether it printed at actual size.

Why is the largest size 1¾ in?

So that every net, including the long 3-3 net with five squares end to end, fits on both US Letter and A4. For a bigger cube, enlarge it on a copier (see “Sizes and how many fit on a page”).

What can I do with a blank cube?

Write a prompt on each face to make story cubes or conversation dice, or add sight words, math facts or pictures for games. For a board game, you can write moves like “Go back 1” or “Miss a turn”.