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How to Make a Paper Fortune Teller

completed paper fortune teller or cootie catcher

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 1 crease the paper to begin making your paper fortune teller

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.

step 2

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 for paper fortune teller

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.

how to fold a paper fortune teller

Press down on the fold with a fingernail so it stays in place.

folding a paper fortune teller

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.

completing folds to make a paper fortune teller

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.

add colors and numbers to paper 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!”

label a paper fortune teller

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.

how to use a paper fortune teller

Then pick a number and count it out. As you do so, move your fingers with each letter and number called out.

how to use a paper fortune teller

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.

revealed fortune in paper fortune teller

353 Comments on How to Make a Paper Fortune Teller

  1. I will try

  2. Wow cooolllllll!!!!!!,! Works soooooooooo well!

  3. 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.

  4. the whole step 3 is hard

  5. Noodle hair // October 7, 2024 at 9:37 pm // Reply

    It wasn’t that hard I just got stuck once but it really helped thanks

  6. its soooooooooo complicated???????

  7. annoyingorange 13 // September 30, 2024 at 11:54 am // Reply

    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

  8. 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.

  9. i suck at origami so it makes sense why this doesn’t work

  10. It is way to hard😡

  11. This is so confusing

  12. Alightyttytt // September 1, 2024 at 4:56 am // Reply

    It doesn’t work at all

  13. This is so confusing, how am I supposed to do this???

  14. Step 6 is impossible 😡😡😡

  15. It doesn’t work!!!😡

  16. how to use

  17. it works

  18. aedadnouy // May 10, 2024 at 2:02 am // Reply

    amasinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng

  19. Its real my friend and pridict games

  20. 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.

  21. I type one out for my Demonstrative Essay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  22. it worked that’s cool

  23. Rocky star // March 23, 2024 at 5:04 am // Reply

    I love it soooooooooo!!! much i did it

  24. WOW THIS IS SOOOO COOL!

  25. I’m telling all my friends about this!
    T h i s i s s o a m a z i n g ! ! !

  26. I LOVED IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  27. I love it

  28. Jakeeeeeeeeeeeeeed W. // February 20, 2024 at 11:22 am // Reply

    COOL
    MAN

  29. I messed up one but it was fine.

  30. Nice

  31. Did it! Yay

  32. How do you use it it doesn’t go on my brothers hand when he made it so I’d like to know

  33. Thank you. I remembered this thing from elementary school, but had no clue how to make one. I’m doing it now.

  34. your real name // December 9, 2023 at 6:21 pm // Reply

    I don’t understand at all

  35. takes a little to get it right

  36. I love it

  37. ■⊙♤♧◦•¤《》€£$¥◇ // October 25, 2023 at 1:56 pm // Reply

    Thank you for helping me!♡

  38. This is hard! But I figured it out. The first few steps were hard tho.

  39. hello

  40. how do you put it on???

  41. I really had fun

  42. Miya the pug // September 2, 2023 at 3:24 pm // Reply

    Cool

  43. It’s hard.

  44. its so hard

  45. It went from a flare square to a working fortune teller

  46. wildviolets // July 17, 2023 at 5:16 pm // Reply

    We used to make these in grade school, had so much fun thinking up things to say. Hours and hours of play fun! My grand kids loved it- so easy the 4 yr.old made one!

  47. Sorry I did it wrong 😑 it’s super easy 😌😉

  48. Hard time. I don’t know what is 90 degrees. Be more specific whoever made this.🥸😎🥸🥸🥸🥸🥸😎🤭

  49. Thanks this really helped
    7/10 parts didnt make sense

  50. I dont know

  51. These are fun to make! 🙂

  52. It so hard to do!!

  53. FGteEv Duddz // June 5, 2023 at 9:17 am // Reply

    HOW DO YOU DO GOOOOO?!!!!!!

  54. Anonymous // May 16, 2023 at 1:23 am // Reply

    It dos’ent teach you anything

  55. Anonymous // May 15, 2023 at 2:17 pm // Reply

    I don’t know how to do it

  56. It’s so easy and easy to do

  57. It’s easy I did one on my own with no help its my own one.

  58. I don’t get it!

  59. I don’t get it!!

  60. Bro this is hard I can’t do it

  61. This was easy, just gotta look at the pics and read the directions! Great idea!

  62. mckymouse!!!!!!!!!#LOVE // April 2, 2023 at 3:18 pm // Reply

    I don’t want to be rude,but this was hard

  63. it was easy

  64. it was easy

  65. gvrfgvjfdtghvh // February 18, 2023 at 8:29 am // Reply

    this is the worst i could not follow the instructions it is so hard

  66. Bro this is so hard.

  67. hello! it did not work for me so can u give me a tip?

  68. Way too hard I think you should do a video instructions are to complicated!

  69. i cant do it it’s imposible!

  70. Terrible instructions

  71. EZ I LOVE IT

  72. this was a pretty easy thing to do.

  73. How did you do that it’s so cool😃

  74. I was fun and easy

  75. I loved making a fortune teller.

  76. its really easy and i made some funny words inside the flap🤣

  77. your worst nightmare // December 6, 2022 at 11:49 am // Reply

    its sooo helpfull ty

    • These instructions make no sense 😭
      I tried to make one and mine came out looking like a dinasoar that’s just eaten hotsause🤬😖😶‍🌫️

  78. It is so hard how do you do it

  79. 🤭 it seems hard but its easy 😱

  80. I tried making a puppet out of paper the other day, but I failed. I found this fortune teller and was like, BOOM!

  81. I can’t do it

  82. I dint get it

  83. The fortune tellers are really hard to make for me.

  84. This was very helpful

  85. So easy my six year old did it. Thanks!

  86. I loved it,it was amazing although,I couldn’t put my fingers in it.
    Please tell me how to put them in.
    But all in all it was amazing, keep up the good work 👍.

  87. Amazing and fun to make!!!!!! Thanksssssss!!!

  88. The kids are it! // September 27, 2022 at 11:58 am // Reply

    Thank you! So easy my 5 yr followed along without hesitation! Appreciate it!

  89. KawaiiKunicorn // September 20, 2022 at 12:05 pm // Reply

    It was really helpful and now I can trick my friends.

  90. i cant make it oj oj

  91. This ”helping” guide to make a fortune teller was horiable, I couldn’t make anything! To confusing.

  92. This Dude Said: // August 29, 2022 at 3:00 pm // Reply

    Very easy to make, and fun! Love it.

  93. I don’t why it took me so long I’m crying at these comments. Thanks for the memory refresh it’s been over 16 years since I’ve made one of these

  94. Oragamimaster1234 // August 18, 2022 at 2:31 am // Reply

    I did it 😀 it was so easy

  95. My mom had to help me on the last one but I did the rest it wus so hard broooooo

  96. Dat was hard but I love it

  97. Mermaid Anna // July 8, 2022 at 2:51 am // Reply

    I swear I did everything right but it still didn’t work. Massive disapontment😔

  98. HELP ME

  99. 5mincrafts // May 26, 2022 at 11:58 am // Reply

    I did everything right and at the end it did not work

  100. Demonwolf // May 24, 2022 at 7:44 am // Reply

    Super easy and fun. Thanks for printing the 90s kid back out of me my son will enjoy playing with it

  101. Pe0pLe DId NOtlikE IT.

  102. I did everything right and it did not work!!!!!!!!!!!!

  103. I like it so much.It was like one hour to make

  104. 81cool bro // April 22, 2022 at 9:40 am // Reply

    awsomw

  105. 320 soccer gil // April 22, 2022 at 9:38 am // Reply

    it was so esay i did it
    🙂

  106. Was kinda hard but did it at 7:57 p.m.

  107. that was fun

  108. I didn’t understand the bit with Ur fingers going under the Square? Or something?

  109. Now i can pop a hole at the bottom and pretend its a flower. Yay.

  110. it has a very good way of explaining how to do the procedure

  111. what is thiS I DOUN’T UNDUSTAND AT ALL

  112. It like math but harder

  113. It’s great to play with your friends!

  114. It was fun and easy.

  115. I could not get

  116. Ezzz

  117. Tried sliding my fingers, now i just named it the inoperable fortune teller

  118. I can’t do this

  119. its hard

  120. I DONT UNDERSTAND IT AT ALL

  121. i cant get the first step right

  122. its so easy

  123. I got it on the first try it was good 👍

  124. Wow that was easy

  125. Wow that was easy

  126. Bla bla bla

  127. I treid it
    it was easy

  128. a p e r s o n // August 31, 2021 at 6:13 pm // Reply

    I could not figure it out

  129. I don’t now how to do it

  130. Its good

  131. I have trouble trying to slide my fingers in the squares 🤣

  132. I love this site I use to make them all the time when I was younger. Now that I’m 31 I forgot exactly how to do it but wanted to show my 4 year old daughter.

  133. Monica.angle // August 6, 2021 at 12:30 pm // Reply

    It’s probably the best site 👍🏽😉

  134. Can’t do last step

  135. Soooooo easy

  136. Kemlola🤣😃 // May 27, 2021 at 9:26 am // Reply

    This website is the best how do they do this I mean I made a perfect fortune teller

  137. easy as pie

  138. Anime_Gurl9 // May 26, 2021 at 9:46 am // Reply

    it was easy for me 🙂

  139. a random cat lover // May 24, 2021 at 3:03 pm // Reply

    I could not get it so I threw mine away

  140. Minaashido // May 21, 2021 at 1:40 pm // Reply

    Works perfectly!

  141. now i can prank my family

  142. THIS IS SO GOOD!

  143. This Was So Good!

  144. Celtwoman // May 16, 2021 at 6:14 am // Reply

    Used to play this game with my friends back in the 1950s/60s. Simple entertainment.

  145. Anonymous // May 10, 2021 at 6:18 pm // Reply

    Give me some examples of fortunes to include.

  146. ThatOneGirl // May 5, 2021 at 1:44 pm // Reply

    So fun and easy! I will be making many more of these! Thank you!

  147. Anonymous // May 4, 2021 at 12:38 pm // Reply

    So cool

  148. Anonymous // May 4, 2021 at 5:07 am // Reply

    Ava
    It was realy FUN

  149. Anonymous // May 2, 2021 at 10:39 am // Reply

    its so easey

  150. You missed a step in it

  151. it was easy

  152. Really fun and easy If forgot how to make it so I read the instructions so I could make 19 fortune tellers

  153. The Weeknd // April 10, 2021 at 5:41 pm // Reply

    i seriously dont understand it at all

  154. it works

  155. OMG I CANT GET THIS AAAAAAAA

  156. verry cooll

  157. It works ,thanks it is fun

  158. impossible to fold dude….. CURSES!!!

  159. fun i did it

  160. cool

  161. This does not help making a fortune teller is impossible!

  162. It didn’t work

  163. It’s fun and it’s a great little game for when you need something to do.

  164. OrigamiYoda2021 // February 6, 2021 at 10:10 am // Reply

    It works!

  165. Tysm I forgot how to make it .

  166. It worked 4 me

  167. I forgot how to make but thank you for answering my calls on how to make the fortune teller and can you maybe do a paper boat just a suggestion

  168. The Kabooom!! // January 6, 2021 at 4:52 pm // Reply

    so easy and fun

  169. So easy and fun

  170. Just watch a video it will help

  171. my daughter got an f in her arts and talented class 1 star review

  172. Thank you, my granddaughter was having difficult time until I located your post.

  173. I do not like this

  174. it was fun i made my brother one and me one

  175. My grandson loved it so much

  176. I love the art that you made

  177. How do you get your fingers in the “holes”.

  178. I’mACoolKid // November 30, 2020 at 3:03 am // Reply

    Cool, thanks for this *peace out yo*

  179. It works Great, it’s just that you had to tell to turn the paper to the other side to make the smaller triangles/flaps. Thank you.

  180. i love imma prank my friends i put all not so good fortunes 10 stars!!

  181. it is funh

  182. hate it it does not help me

  183. It does not work

  184. I HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE

  185. Cool

  186. yeah how do you pick it up ugh

  187. this did not work

  188. wow how do you hold it though?

  189. great thank you for teaching me ……. ahahahahaah … i have learned this before tho but i forgot…. anyways helpful and informative once again thank you super duper much – Queen Cutie

  190. am now learning but i hope for the best

  191. it works!

  192. This does not teach you anything!

  193. how do you pick it up!!!!???? l dont like this

  194. This really didn’t help me. Im so confused.

  195. this help me so much 10 stars bravo!!

  196. this help me so much

  197. great

  198. This was good help for me to do my homework.

  199. wow this helpt me i love it ten stars

  200. Mmmmm sandwich yummy // September 21, 2020 at 9:26 am // Reply

    Tasty

  201. Kskjskskwnsisis // September 21, 2020 at 9:00 am // Reply

    Cool 😎

  202. It is so hard

  203. This is so good I did it

  204. its so hard

  205. oh yeah

  206. It won’t work for me

  207. I love them!!! so much 😍👍

  208. Thanks,I forgot how we played during school days. Your blog helped me play this again with my kids

  209. We made these when I was a kid and I made them for my son, who is now am adult. He says they were a lot of fun. = )

  210. So Cool🥳🤯😎

  211. thank you :3 love the rules u guys gave!!!!!!!!

  212. My fortune looks really weird.

  213. The one and only, the legendary warrior...Bob. // August 17, 2020 at 6:58 pm // Reply

    guys, the instructions are correct. It’s just REALLY hard to get your fingers in.

  214. guys, the instructions are correct. It’s just REALLY hard to get your fingers in.

  215. It didn’t really help me, unfortunately this is a big flop!

  216. I don’t know how to get my fingers in and I’m pretty sure that i followed the directions correctly.

  217. awesome

  218. this was no help

  219. thank you

  220. It worked I like it

  221. How do you do the ending part it is a square how do you even fold it right!?!?!?

  222. This was a great way to make it and the instructions were very detailed although I don’t now the last step

  223. anime weeb // May 19, 2020 at 5:19 pm // Reply

    the memories

  224. Cool!

  225. Anonymous // May 2, 2020 at 1:10 pm // Reply

    confusing

  226. Mean Mom // May 1, 2020 at 3:58 pm // Reply

    Nice! I totally remember making these in grade school! Just made one following your instructions and it turned out great! Using it as a chore chart for my 5 year old. Instead of a fortune he gets a chore! Daaaanng.

  227. I try it tree time in my home how make papers work like a envelope it’s very easy and cool.

  228. oragami nerd // April 26, 2020 at 4:49 pm // Reply

    It really helped me !
    Thanks

  229. Super duper popper // April 20, 2020 at 8:26 am // Reply

    Horrible didn’t understand how to do it

  230. really bad it doesn’t show the last part. How are you meant to do it?

  231. It works!

  232. well its mo my falt I cant fold things correctly so this was very hard for me

  233. not useful and you cant do the last part

  234. The Deathly Hallows. // March 23, 2020 at 4:51 pm // Reply

    It was fun but hard to understand, could make it a bit more simple.

  235. not helpful i do to get hows to fold the last part so it works

  236. Sing queen // March 2, 2020 at 5:06 pm // Reply

    So fun!

  237. It works and I would recommend using this

  238. This is very good advice!

  239. Awesome job

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