Oct 1, 2026

From Cute to Spooky: How to Make a Halloween Agamograph

Designer: Marcia Izabel Marchiori

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Level: Beginner

Today I’m going to show you how to make one of the most traditional activities in art school: an agamograph!

What is an agamograph?
An agamograph is a piece of artwork made from alternating strips of two images, creating a fun optical illusion where one image appears to transform into another as you move from side to side. The name comes from artist Yaacov Agam, a pioneer of kinetic and optical art who became known for artworks that change depending on the viewer’s position.

I have to confess that I learned how to make one much later in life, but whenever I mention agamographs to people who grew up doing art and crafts, I often hear, “Oh, I remember making those when I was young! I don’t remember how, but I definitely made one!” So, if you’re looking for a fun little craft project to remember how to make and enjoy an afternoon, let’s make one together!

And since October is here, I thought it would be the perfect time to give this classic project a Halloween twist. Actually, why stop at one? Today, we’re going to make one... or maybe two!
One of the things I love about agamographs is that there are so many possibilities for the images you can use. You simply need two coordinating pictures that are the same size and have the same orientation, meaning both need to be either horizontal or vertical. And you don’t necessarily need to be an artist or have special supplies to create them. Here are a few ways you can come up with your two images:

• Paint or draw your own artwork: Create two illustrations specifically for your agamograph. This is a great option if you want to make something completely unique.

• Use digital illustrations: Create your images digitally or use artwork you already have on your computer.

• Print photographs: Choose two coordinating photos that work well together and print them at the same size.

• Combine different techniques: You can also mix photography, painting, collage, digital art, or anything else you can imagine!

For my Halloween agamographs, I’m going to use photographs of myself and my cat Poppy. For mine, I simply took a normal selfie with a dark background, then put on some vampire makeup and a black cape to completely transform the look into a Halloween vibe, while keeping the background the same:

This is a perfect craft to make with your kids! You can create a fun before-and-after using their Halloween costume of the year, and they’ll love watching their image transform as they move the agamograph from side to side 🧡.

For my cat Poppy, I chose a video of her playing and took screenshots of two scenes where she looked cute in one and scary, almost like she was "screaming", in the other. I thought it would be fun to see her transform her face!

But once you understand the basic technique, you can use it for practically any theme or occasion. The magic happens when you move the finished piece from side to side and watch one image transform into the other!
Let’s start!

Tools & Supplies Needed

• OLFA CM-9x12-01/YEL Double-Sided Self-Healing Cutting Mat

• OLFA QR-1x12 1" x 12" Frosted Acrylic Ruler

• OLFA QR-6x24 6" x 24" Frosted Acrylic Ruler

• OLFA AK-5 Designer Graphic Art Knife

• Something to use as a background or frame for your agamograph. Here, I used a glitter canvas for one, and black foam board for the other. For my designs, which were letter-size, a 12" x 12" square was enough.

• Mod Lodge

• Flat paint brush to apply the glue

• Removable tape (I used Therm O Web Removable Tape)

• Hot glue gun

• Pencil

• Letter-size copy paper (for printing the photos/digital illustrations), or two letter-size pieces of paper artwork of your choice

• Cardstock (black or white): the cardstock should be twice the length of your artwork/photo (in my case, I used letter-size artwork):

Instructions

-First, take your two images and use the OLFA ruler and a pencil to mark them into equal-width strips, from one edge to the other across the full height of the image. It is important that all the strips are exactly the same width (here, I used a 3/4" spacing for each strip, but you can make them up to 2" wide, depending on the size of your image).TIP: Use temporary adhesive tape to secure the sheet to your OLFA mat before marking the strip lines. This will keep the paper in place and prevent it from sliding as you move the ruler, making it much easier to draw your lines accurately.

- These little pieces can easily get mixed up, so I recommend creating a key on the back of each image to make it easier to identify the strips later. Label each strip in the correct sequence, using A for the first image and B for the second image, followed by a number. I used A1 to A10 for one image and B1 to B10 for the other. Note: If you think it will help, you can also repeat these labels on the accordion-folded cardstock.

- Using your OLFA AK-5 Designer Graphic Art Knife, your OLFA ruler as a guide, and your OLFA cutting mat, carefully cut along all the lines to separate the strips of both images.

- Now grab your black or white cardstock. Using the tapered base of the handle of your OLFA AK-5, score the 3/4” strips on the cardstock where each fold will go. TIP: Use temporary adhesive tape to secure the cardstock to your OLFA mat before scoring the strip lines as well. This will keep it from moving while you work.
Then fold it in an accordion, or fan-fold, style. Start with the first fold going backward, and continue alternating the direction of each fold until you reach the end.

This is what you should have so far:

- Using Mod Podge and a flat paintbrush, attach the strips to the accordion-folded cardstock. Start with A1, then alternate with B1, followed by A2, then B2, and so on until you reach the end.

- Let’s make the background/frame. Here, I used black foam board for Poppy and a dollar store bought glittered canvas for my portrait. Using a pencil and your OLFA ruler, trace the size you need for your background. I made mine approximately 1" larger on each side than the finished agamographs.

- Using your OLFA AK-5 and ruler as a guide, carefully cut out the square.

Pause for Poppy checking to see if her photos turned out awesome! 😸

- Using a small dot of hot glue, or any other glue of your preference, on each corner of the back of the agamograph, carefully adhere it to the background.