Making a set of tans
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It's easy to make your own set of tans. You will need a straight edge, a compass and a pencil, a piece of material for the tans and something to cut with.
The tangram is a simple and elegant construction. Starting with a square, draw the line segment bh. The point d bisects bh, and c and f in turn bisect bd and dh, respectively.
Segment ei forms the medium sized triangle on the bottom right. It connects the bisectors, or midpoints, of the bottom and right sides of the square.
Now, draw lines from a to g (the midpoint of ei), from c to g, and from f to i. Once the figure has been drawn, cut along the lines to make your set of seven tans.
Good materials are paper, cardboard, foam, and wood or plywood, and you can of course make your set any size you like. After they are cut, consider sanding smooth the edges, and, if applicable, paint any color you like.