How to Draw a Regular Hexagon with Only a Ruler

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

  1. 1
    Plot the center point of your hexagon and decide how long you want each side to be. Label this length "S".[1]
    Image titled 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]
    Image titled 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.
    Image titled 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.)[3]
    Image titled 6gon_step 3.png
  5. 5
    Connect the dots between the points and erase the guide lines. Congrats!
    Image titled 6gon_step 4.png
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Starting from One Side and Using its Length

  1. 1
    Draw and measure one line. This will be the first side (and S length).
    Image titled 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.
    Image titled 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.
    Image titled 6gon2_step 3.png
  4. 4
    Find the point halfway between these 2 sides. Draw one last guide line parallel to the sides.
    Image titled 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.[4]
    Image titled 6gon2_step 4.png
  6. 6
    Connect these points to the ends of the drawn sides. Erase the guide lines. Congrats!
    Image titled 6gon_step 4.png
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References

  1. ↑ https://sciencing.com/construct-hexagon--2309237.html
  2. ↑ https://sciencing.com/construct-hexagon--2309237.html
  3. ↑ https://www.bit-101.com/blog/2019/01/hexagons/
  4. ↑ https://www.bit-101.com/blog/2019/01/hexagons/
  5. ↑ https://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/regular-polygons.html

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 10 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 124,711 times.
268 votes - 65%
Co-authors: 10
Updated: October 3, 2022
Views: 124,711
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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