Six steps from loose straws to a flagpole that holds steady through an evening outdoors — with the triangular bracing made visible.
1
The cardboard base
Draw a cross on the cardboard square and cut a small, snug hole at the centre — just big enough for one straw.
⚡ The triangle's secret
Each brace forms a triangle with the pole and the base. A triangle cannot twist without changing the length of one of its sides — and that is what keeps the flagpole standing.