How to Make a Paper Fortune Teller
Learn how to fold this classic paper fortune teller game and fill it with hidden messages for your friends. This fun origami is also sometimes called a cootie catcher.
If you enjoy this paper-folding project, try making an Origami X-Wing Fighter!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO FOLD A PAPER FORTUNE TELLER
- 8 ½-by-11-inch piece of construction paper cut into a square
- Markers
HOW TO CUT A PERFECT SQUARE
If you don’t have a square piece of paper, here’s an easy way to cut an 8 1/2-by-11-inch piece of paper into a square.
WHAT YOU’LL DO TO MAKE A PAPER FORTUNE TELLER
STEP 1: Crease a square piece of paper diagonally from each corner. Fold the top right corner to touch the bottom left corner. Crease the fold with your finger and then unfold it so your sheet is flat again. Then take the top left corner and fold it over to the bottom right corner.
STEP 2: Fold the paper in half from each side. Bring the top edge of the paper to the bottom edge and crease the fold.
Unfold the paper so it’s flat again and rotate it by 90 degrees. Fold the new top edge of the paper to the bottom to crease it and then flatten it out again. Your paper will have four lines intersecting in the middle.
STEP 3: Bring the corners to the center of the paper. Start with one of the bottom corners and fold it to the middle of the paper where the creases intersect.
Press down on the fold with a fingernail so it stays in place.
Turn your paper 90 degrees and fold the other bottom corner toward the center. Keep rotating and folding your paper until you’ve made a smaller square containing four triangles.
Flip the paper over and fold each corner to the center again.
STEP 4: Put numbers in ascending order on the triangles. Start with the No. 1 in the smaller top left triangle on the fortune teller. Write the numbers in ascending order clockwise around the triangles until you get to eight.
Then pick four colors to write on the front side of the fortune teller.
STEP 5: Write the fortunes underneath the flaps. Open up the triangles labeled 1 and 2, and write a short fortune underneath each number. Write small so it fits in the space. Repeat the process under the flap for each number so you have eight different fortunes in all. Close the flaps once you’ve written all the fortunes.
Fortunes you can write:
- “Something amazing is coming your way tomorrow.”
- “You will live a very long and happy life.”
- “Do a Good Turn today!”
STEP 6: Slide your fingers underneath the squares to operate the paper fortune teller. Ask a friend to choose a color and spell it out.
Then pick a number and count it out. As you do so, move your fingers with each letter and number called out.
Last, have them pick another number to reveal their fortune. Lift the flap for the number they picked. Read your friend’s fortune out loud.
Wow cooolllllll!!!!!!,! Works soooooooooo well!
I think step two is missing the part where you fold the rectangular shaped stage. fold paper in half again to form a small square then unfold giving the 4 intersecting lines.
the whole step 3 is hard
It wasn’t that hard I just got stuck once but it really helped thanks
its soooooooooo complicated???????
i did all the steps but it was not too hard for me to do that i love it it was amazing and and i did it it works thank you for making picture and how to make it
For all the people confused, find someone in their 30s and ask them to just make it for you, because we were making these as first graders for fun.
i suck at origami so it makes sense why this doesn’t work
It is way to hard😡
This is so confusing
It doesn’t work at all
This is so confusing, how am I supposed to do this???
I don’t understand step 3 you need to explain more
It’s easy and I loveeeee doing it I use it alllllll the time thnx this really helps me chose a bunch of stuff
Step 6 is impossible 😡😡😡
Uhhh I keep trying I think I might have the hang of it maybe.
It doesn’t work!!!😡
It does work. You must’ve done it wrong. I would unfold it and try again. It works!
yes I doesssssss
how to use
it works
amasinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng
Its real my friend and pridict games
so hard could not get it to work
Thanks for posting this. My kids love making this and it’s easy to follow; however, the most important step is to cut odd the bottom after making your first fold so you have an exact square or it will never work!! That’s probably why everyone is having a hard time.
I type one out for my Demonstrative Essay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
it worked that’s cool
I love it soooooooooo!!! much i did it
WOW THIS IS SOOOO COOL!
I’m telling all my friends about this!
T h i s i s s o a m a z i n g ! ! !
I LOVED IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ME2!
This has been a thing since the 90s. Why are people amazed by this lol
I love it
These were around back in the early 60’s. We used to use them to find our future husbands and how many kids we were going to have. It didn’t work!
These are children in the comments, to them it’s new
COOL
MAN
Yes
I messed up one but it was fine.
Nice
Did it! Yay
I love it 💓💓💓 it amazing
I love it
How do you use it it doesn’t go on my brothers hand when he made it so I’d like to know
Thank you. I remembered this thing from elementary school, but had no clue how to make one. I’m doing it now.
I don’t understand at all
Nice
takes a little to get it right
I love it
I love it
I MES UP RAHHHHHH
I ALSO MESSED UP RAHHHHH
YIPPPEEE
Thank you for helping me!♡
It was super easy .
This is hard! But I figured it out. The first few steps were hard tho.
So hard
hello
no
how do you put it on???
no
My granddaughter just came home with this.. I was like no way we played this when I was a kid I forgot all about it!!
No clue
I really had fun
Cool
Hi this was cool o:-) (^3^)
It’s hard.
its so hard
Wow
It went from a flare square to a working fortune teller