Make an Eiffel Tower With String

Have you mastered a few basic string figures and want to expand your skills? The Eiffel Tower can be a fun but challenging string figure to master. It may take some practice, but once you're familiar with the different methods of making it, you can make it just for fun, as part of a performance, or teach it to friends. This may be difficult for you, so take time and concentrate on each step. Say the instructions out loud if it helps you.

Steps

Making a Simple Eiffel Tower

  1. Be prepared to try a few times. If you are new to string shapes, it can be tricky. The instructions will make more sense to a person who has gotten the hang of it. So, be prepared to start over a few times before it comes easily. It is recommended to try the simple Eiffel Tower before moving on to the elaborate one. Many of the directions in the elaborate method will make more sense if you have tried them out with the simple Eiffel Tower.
  2. Find a suitable piece of string. Any type of string should work but it needs to be at least three feet long if you are a child or have very small hands, or at least four feet long if you have larger hands.
  3. Set up your computer. It can be hard to scroll down if your hands are 'tied' and no one is around to help you. Before you start making your Eiffel Tower, position your cursor over the 'down' triangle on the scroll bar so you can move from step to step using your palms, pinkie, or elbow to bump the left mouse button. Or, make sure no element on the page is selected so you can bump the down arrow on your keyboard.
    • If you are using a touch screen device, you should be able to use some part of your hand to scroll down. You might even try using your nose.
  4. Tie the ends of the string together in a knot. Trim off any excess string coming off the ends of the knot.[1] You should now have a complete loop of string.
  5. Begin your string figure. Place the string over both of your thumbs. Now position your hands so that the palms are facing each other and are at least a foot away from each other. Move your pinkie fingers under the string so that the string is now hooked over them as well. Pull the string taut.[2]
    • In other words, slide your pinkies into the loop from underneath, and then make them straight again. Afterwards, when pulled taut with your palms facing each other, the loop will be in a rectangular shape behind your fingers and pinkies, but in front of your pointer, middle, and ring fingers.
  6. Take the pointer finger of either hand and hook the string on the opposite hand with it. You should hook the opposite side's string where it is going in front of your middle three fingers over the palm.
    • Repeat this with your other hand as well, looping the string onto your pointer finger from the middle of the opposite hand.
    • Pull the string figure taut once again. Now you have your string figure in "open a" position. This position is the starting position for many string figures.
    • Holding your hands vertically, from top to bottom you will see a downward pointing triangle, a diamond, and an upward pointing triangle.
  7. Move each thumb toward the pinkie on the same hand, going over the two closest strings and then looping under the third string. This will be the piece of string on the farther side your pointer finger. In other words, the two strings you count from your thumb include the one actually looped around it.
    • After the third string is looped, pull your thumbs back out to their normal position, pulling the figure taut while you do.
    • You should now have two loops of string on each of your thumbs, a lower loop, which was the original on your thumbs, and an upper, which you just hooked onto.
  8. Release the lower loop from your thumbs. Leaving the string you just looped over your thumbs in place, you will be releasing the string that was looped over your thumbs at the very beginning. In other words, this piece of string is extending from the outer edge of one thumb to the other.The easiest way to do this is with your teeth. Be careful to keep everything else where it is. Grab the string with your teeth and pull it over your thumbs, making sure to go around the string that will stay on your thumbs. Then release your teeth, and pull taut again.
    • If you experienced with making string figures, you can also do this by rotating your thumbs in a circle down toward your palms. As you do this, you will make sure that you are still hooked onto the upper loops while the upper loops are released.
    • Make sure to keep your string figure pretty taut while completing this step. It's important that you don't let loops other than the top ones on your thumbs come off your fingers.
  9. Release the loops that are on your pinkies, gradually pulling the string figure taut as you release them. Pulling the string tight as the loops are released will make it so that you do not lose any other loops.
  10. Rotate your hands so that your thumbs are on top. Now you should see the classic string figure "cup and saucer."
    • This string figure is explained fully, with illustrations here.
  11. Loosen the cup and saucer figure by moving your hands closer together. Be sure that even though there is slack in your figure that all of the loops on stay on your fingers.
  12. Clasp the string stretched between your thumbs with your teeth. This is the piece of string you just released from your pinkies. It should have settled between your thumbs. Pull the string in your teeth up toward the tips of your fingers.[3]
    • If you're not keen on holding it with your teeth, nail a small tack to a board that won't move when you pull on it. Attach the string to the tack instead of your teeth.
  13. Release the loops on your thumbs slowly as you pull the loop with you teeth toward your finger tips. The result should look like the Eiffel Tower.
  14. Practice if needed. Once you have gotten the basic motion down, you may find that the the one in the picture looks more like the Eiffel Tower than yours. It should only take you a few seconds to do this after practice, so play with the string to get the shape right. Experimenting with the tautness may help you get a better looking Eiffel Tower.

Making an Elaborate Eiffel Tower

  1. Be prepared to try a few times. If you are new to string shapes, it can be tricky. The instructions will make more sense to a person who has gotten the hang of it. So, be prepared to start over a few times before it comes easily. It is recommended to try the simple Eiffel Tower before moving on to the elaborate one. Many of the directions in the elaborate method will make more sense if you have tried them out with the simple Eiffel Tower.
  2. Find a piece of string to use. You can use any type of string but it should be at least three feet long for children and at least four feet long for adults.
  3. Set up your computer. It can be hard to scroll down if your hands are 'tied' and no one is around to help you. Before you start making your Eiffel Tower, position your cursor over the 'down' triangle on the scroll bar so you can move from step to step using your palms, pinkie, or elbow to bump the left mouse button. Or, make sure no element on the page is selected so you can bump the down arrow on your keyboard.
    • If you are using a touch screen device, you should be able to use some part of your hand to scroll down. You might even try using your nose.
  4. Tie the ends of the string together. Form a secure knot and then trim off any excess string coming off the ends.[1] You should now have a complete loop of string.
  5. Make a rectangle. Begin the string figure by placing the string over both of your thumbs. With your palms facing each other, hook your pinkie fingers under the string so that the string is now looped over them as well. Pull the string tight, but not too tight.[2]
  6. Hook your pointer fingers under the string across the palm on the opposite hand. This loop should be made on the opposite string where it is going in front of your middle three fingers. Repeat this step with your other hand, taking your pointer finger and hooking the string from the middle of the opposite hand.
    • Pull the string figure taut once again.
    • Holding your hands vertically, from top to bottom you will see a downward pointing triangle, a diamond, and an upward pointing triangle.
    • This position is called "open a." It is the starting position for many other string figures as well.[2]
  7. Drop the loops off of your thumbs. Pull the string figure tight as you do it, so that you don't lose any other loops.
  8. Turn your hands so that your palms are facing down but keeping all the loops on your fingers. There should be four strings running between your hands.
  9. Hook your thumbs under the bottom string then move your hands back to the original position.
  10. Go over the first string on your index finger with your thumbs. Then hook them beneath the second string on your index fingers.
  11. Drop the loop on each of your pinkies. Once you have dropped them, turn your hands so that your palms are facing up.
  12. Move your pinkies over the the string closest to them and under the second string, without hooking the second string from the top. Return your hands to the original position after you have done this, with your palms facing each other.
  13. Drop both the strings that are around your thumbs. You may need to use your teeth if you are new to string figures and your fingers aren't nimble enough for this move yet. Pull the string figure taut. You now are in the string figure called Cat's Whiskers.
  14. Move your thumbs over the two strings on your index fingers and under the first string on your pinkies, looping the string onto your thumbs. You should now have strings around your pinkies, index fingers and thumbs.
  15. Take the loop on your right index finger, widen it, and then loop it onto your thumb. This top loop should now be on both your right thumb and right index finger.
    • Use the fingers on your left hand to expand and move this loop without dropping the strings they hold. This can be a bit difficult but just do it slowly and carefully.
    • Repeat this step on the other hand.
  16. Pull the bottom loop on one thumb up and off. Be careful to leave the upper loop in place on your thumb. Again, people new to string figures may find using their teeth to be the easiest method for doing this.
    • Repeat this step on the other hand as well.
    • You should see a small triangle form on both of your hands between your right index fingers and thumbs.
  17. Put your index fingers down through the two small triangles you created in the previous step. Just simply curve your index fingers and point them down through the holes. Don't pull them back up, just leave them pointing down.
  18. Take the loop off your pinkies. Rotate your hands 180 degrees around, moving so your thumbs move up. While doing this you will also need to simultaneously take your pinkies out of their loops. The flip of your hands should also release the second loop on your index fingers while keeping the loop you gained from the triangle.
    • You now have Jacob's Ladder!
    • This is the most difficult step of this method. Don't get discouraged if you mess it up a couple times. Simply keep practicing so that you can master this movement.
  19. Position your Jacob's Ladder vertically, with one of your hands on the top and one on the bottom. Move the fingers of your top hand together and then pull the whole string figure tight.[4] You should now see the Eiffel Tower before your very eyes!

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXV1rX-PvR0
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 http://www.alysion.org/figures/introkids.htm
  3. ↑ http://www.kidspot.com.au/kids-activities-and-games/String-games+33/String-game-Eiffel-Tower+11956.htm
  4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8011qtgyvIM

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