Cubes Quick and Easy

I love the idea of using little paper cubes for activities in class. We see the templates for the cut and glue cubes in so many teaching books, but it always ends in a glue disaster! (At least in my class.)

A presenter at a training a few weeks ago showed us a quick and easy way to make those cubes. You can even write on them easily!!!

It might look complicated, but give it a try. You will be surprised.

All you need are envelopes. I am going to use the standard size in the photographs.

First seal the envelope. This is the worst part. I hate the taste of envelopes!

Next fold one side over about an inch.

Cut off the part you folded. You will be using this to measure the two pieces of the cube.

Take the piece you have cut off and fold it in half.

Sorry the picture is portrait instead of landscape.

Lay it (still folded) on the envelope. Draw a line to mark your place.

You want these cuts to be as straight as possible, so you might want to draw the line all the way across.

I can't cut a straight line to save my life.

Now you are going to cut along the two lines.

The extra piece (the one at the end that has a fold down one side) and your measuring piece can go in the trash. You don't need them for the cube.



Now we have two continuous pieces.

You can turn them on their sides and look through. You are going to push the folds together to make a square.

Do this with both pieces so that they are squares instead of rectangles.

You can unfold them and set them up. This is the time to write on the sides.

You might want to come back to this step once we are finished so you know which sides of each will be showing.

Insert one piece into the other and then make it fit.

Voila! A perfect little cube. It is really simple after you have done it once.

No more glue disasters!