Roman Dodecahedron

Make

Make Your Own Paper Roman Dodecahedron

Key points

  • A regular dodecahedron has 12 pentagonal faces, 20 corners and 30 edges.[RD]
  • Roman examples have a round hole in each face, all of different sizes, and a knob on each corner.[W]
  • Our free SVG net prints at about 18 cm wide; edges are about 2 cm.

What you need

  • The printable net below, on card stock (A4 or US Letter).
  • Scissors and a craft knife; a ruler and a blunt point for scoring.
  • Glue stick or PVA.
  • Optional: 20 small beads or rolled paper balls for the corner knobs.

The printable net

Printable dodecahedron net: twelve pentagons in two flowers with glue tabs and hole guides
Printable net (SVG). Tap to download, print at 100%. Circles mark where to cut holes of different sizes.

Steps

  1. Print at 100% (no “fit to page”).
  2. Cut around the outside, keeping the grey tabs.
  3. Cut out the circles with a craft knife. On a Roman original every hole is a different size.
  4. Score every fold line and fold all edges the same way.
  5. Glue one tab at a time, closing the last face like a lid.
  6. Glue a bead to each of the 20 corners if you want the knobs.

Paper vs the real thing

SizeWeightMaterial
Paper modelAbout 5 cmA few gramsCard
Roman originals4–11 cm[W]35 g–1 kg[W]Lost-wax cast copper alloy[W]
Our metal replica10 cmJust under 600 gCast solid brass or bronze

Try the theories

With a model in hand you can test ideas yourself: sight through two holes for the surveying theory, or wind yarn round the knobs for the knitting theory.

FAQ

How many faces does a dodecahedron have?

12 pentagons, with 20 corners and 30 edges.

Can I print the net for free?

Yes. Download the SVG and print it at 100% on card.

How big will it be?

About 5 cm across, close to the smaller Roman examples.

Sources

  1. [RD] Wikipedia, “Regular dodecahedron”
  2. [W] Wikipedia, “Roman dodecahedron” (accessed Oct 2026)

Want a Gallo-Roman dodecahedron on your desk? Our bronze dodecahedron replica is cast by the lost-wax method.