Methods and articles for fabricating expansive stents having generally cylindrical configurations with a pattern therein include interconnecting portions from a generally planar sheet of material with a central portion. A pattern is formed in the sheet of material around said central portion corresponding to said pattern having interconnecting portions. The pattern has a generally circular outer margin. The pattern is separated from the sheet of material and causes relative movement between the central portion of the pattern and the outer circular margin in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the central portion. The pattern is transformed from one sheet form into one in cylindrical form to provide an expansible stent having a generally cylindrical configuration.