Once you've printed and cut the parts for the Zoetrope, it's time to put it all together.

Making Donuts

 

These strips of paper will be made into animation loops, which will sit inside our zoetrope.

 

Start by taping the tab marked "A" to the end of the strip marked "A".

 

Complete the loop by taping the "B" tab to the end of the strip marked "B".

The Wall

Find the two pieces that will form the wall of the zoetrope.

 

Attach the two straight ends with tape. 

 

For best results, make sure to add tape on both sides of the seam.

 

The two tabs at one end will fit into the slits cut in the other end.

 

Carefully notch these tabs into place one at a time.

Bring it all together

Align the tabs along the bottom of the wall with the slits in the zoetrope base.

 

Gently poke these through the base, tugging them into place one by one.

 

The fit should be snug enough that no tape or glue will be needed to hold them together (you can add either if you want to make the bond more permanent).

Now you can take your animation strip and drop it into the center of your zoetrope!

This guide was first published on Jul 12, 2018. It was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

This page (Zoetrope Assembly) was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

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