Geodesic Newspaper Dome

Lay a sheet of newspaper on the table. (Use two or three sheets if you want to make your struts extra strong.) Place a toothpick or skewer at one corner, and tuck the corner of the newspaper under it. Then use it to help you roll the sheet up as tightly as you can to form a strut.

As you roll, gently slide your hands apart to keep the ends nice and tight. When you reach the other corner of the newspaper, wrap it tightly around the middle with a piece of masking tape. Repeat until you have 65 struts.

Next, use the scissors to trim about an inch of one end of each strut. Then use a yardstick to measure the struts to the proper length and trim of the other end. You will need:

• 35 long struts that are 28 inches (71 cm) each

• 30 short struts that are 26 inches (66 cm) each

Mark the long struts and the short struts with different color tape or markers so you can tell the two sizes apart.

Now, begin to build your dome. Take three long struts and tape them together at the ends to form a triangle. Make four more triangles, for a total of five. These are the long triangles.

Make five more triangles the same way, but use one long strut for the base and two short struts for the sides. These are the short triangles.

The base of the dome is a decagon with 10 sides. To make it, you will lay down all the triangles you just created so that their bases form a rough circle. Start by laying down one long triangle. Now lay a short triangle next to it, so that one end of the base (the long strut) is touching a corner of the other triangle. Continue alternating long and short triangles around the rough circle, tops pointing in toward the center, until they are all touching.

Take a short strut and use it to connect the top corners of one triangle to the top corner of the one next to it. It helps to do this with a partner: one person to hold the strut, and one person to tape. Go around the dome and connect all the triangle tops the same way. The first level of the dome should now be standing up and leaning a bit toward the center.

For the next level, tape one end of a short strut to the top of every short triangle.

Then use two long struts to connect the top of the loose stick to the top of the triangle to the right and the left. Repeat all around the dome.

At this point, it’s a good idea to inspect your dome for any broken or loose connections. Wherever corners of triangles meet, loop some tape through the openings from one triangle to another until every opening is secured.

To make the last level, take five long struts and lay them end to end to form a pentagon. Tape them together. Then tape one short strut to each corner and let them lop into the middle. Take all the loose ends and connect them with more tape. Then fit the pentagon into the opening at the top of your dome. Secure everything with plenty of tape.

If you like, you can cover your dome with lat sheets of newspaper to create a playhouse or shelter.