How to Make a Zoetrope

Last Updated: January 4, 2023

A zoetrope works similar to a flip book: if you move many images through a single spot fast enough, it creates the illusion of a single, animated image. Unlike a flip book, though, in which you flip through the pages quickly, a zoetrope rotates the images, which are viewed through a slit. These instructions will show you how to make your own little zoetrope animation.

Steps

1
Start with a circular box or lid. This circular box and its lid could make two zoetropes, or you could make a thaumatrope with the other piece.^{[1]
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2
Cut a piece of adhesive tape 3-4cm square (about 1.5-2 inches).

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3
Make a hole in the bottom of the box. The size of the hole should be should be a lot bigger than the diameter of your marble. Make sure the hole is centered on the bottom of the box.^{[2]
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4
Stick the tape on the outside, over the hole, and cut radially from the inside.
5
Glue a glass bead from the inside so that it extends beyond the bottom rim of the box. Remove the tape from the bottom surface of the glass bead, as shown. There are various methods, but the idea is to make the box spin like a top.
6
Draw a picture on a paper strip, as you would for a flip book. The paper strip should be the same length as the circumference of the circle (i.e. enough to go around without any gaps or overlapping). Remember, the box will be spinning, so you might want to make the pictures go in a loop (so that the last one is also similar to the first).^{[3]
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7
Cut slits in a black paper strip, as shown. Make them the same distance apart as the pictures. Make the black paper strip smaller than the container.^{[4]
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8
Place the black paper strip around the outside edge of the box.
9
Set the illustrated paper strip on the inside of it, with the illustrations between the slits.^{[5]
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10
View your animation. Look through the slits in the black paper to the pictures on the opposite side, and spin the box on the marble, like a top.

Community Q&A

Question

How do you make the paper in the zoetrope?

Verin

Top Answerer

You'd have to find and gather some fibrous plant (like water reeds for example), remove the outer skin to access the more fibrous insides and then soak it in water for a few hours. Next (assuming you don't care about colouring the paper) you'd arrange the fibers in the shape that you want your paper to be in, and then lay a large heavy object on top of it for a few hours to press it all together. You now have a brand new piece of paper (or you could just buy some from the store).
Question

Can you make any kind of character, even your own?

Wynn Czajka

Community Answer

Of course! You don't have to be restricted to one character. Some characters can be hard to make many times, especially if they are very complex. Try to stick to simpler ones to make it easier.