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Crop circles (a generic term for the phenomenon of flattened plants) form in many areas of the world, with visual effects ranging from irregular shapes to amazing geometric patterns. The source of their formation is surrounded by controversy (see How to Explain Crop Circles), but there are some crop circles out there that have definitely been made by people. If you've ever wanted to explore making crop circles as a skill and an art form, here's how!
How Do You Make a Crop Circle? Crop circles appear to be very intricate formations, with many geometric shapes linked in sophisticated patterns. But the basics of crop-circle creation and the tools involved are actually fairly simple. In general, circlemakers follow the following steps: 1. Choose a location. 2. Create a diagram of the design (although some circlemakers decide to come up with an idea spontaneously when they arrive at their intended site). 3. Once they arrive at the field, they use ropes and poles to measure out the circle. 4. One circlemaker stands in the middle of the proposed circle and turns on one foot while pushing the crop down with the other foot to make a center. 5. The team makes the radius of the circle using a long piece of rope tied at both ends to an approximately 4-foot-long (1.2-meter) board called a stalk stomper (a garden roller can also be used). One member of the team stands at the center of the circle while the other walks around the edge of the circle, putting one foot in the middle of the board to stomp down the circle's outline.
Crop Circles for Profit Some circlemakers are turning their talent into a real business -- and making big profits from it. A team including artist and filmmaker John Lundberg, Rod Dickinson and Wil Russell travel all over the world making crop circles as advertisements for big corporations. Their client list includes a multibillion dollar computer-chip company, a car manufacturer and a digital television company. Although they won't divulge exactly how much they make per crop design, their budgets are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.