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.
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!
Sorry I did it wrong 😑 it’s super easy 😌😉
i still don’t know 🙃
Am I the only one who couldn’t do this?
Hard time. I don’t know what is 90 degrees. Be more specific whoever made this.🥸😎🥸🥸🥸🥸🥸😎🤭
Thanks this really helped
7/10 parts didnt make sense
I dont know
All of the degrees got me confused 🤔 like who made this Elon Musk🤓🤓🤓
These are fun to make! 🙂
It so hard to do!!
Easy and nice
HOW DO YOU DO GOOOOO?!!!!!!
It dos’ent teach you anything
I don’t know how to do it
It’s fun to make
Is it supposed to?
It’s so easy and easy to do
This was kinda easy but… it was hard when i tried doing the ‘move your fingers a little as you go’ step
this is so confusing
These are challenging
It’s easy I did one on my own with no help its my own one.
It’s so hard
Thank you
I used this last minute
It’s a life saver
I don’t get it!
It’s so hard I don’t get it
I don’t get it!!
Bro this is hard I can’t do it
This was easy, just gotta look at the pics and read the directions! Great idea!
I don’t want to be rude,but this was hard
it was easy
it was easy
this is the worst i could not follow the instructions it is so hard
I rate this a 5 out of 10 because its easy and hard.
Yeah me too ! It’s so hard like the operating part like it doesn’t make sense!
its hard
I tried and it didn’t work out as I thought.
It’s a 10 out of 10
Bro this is so hard.
It super duper hard when you are a kid
It is?
hello! it did not work for me so can u give me a tip?
It was easy for me 😊😊👍
Way too hard I think you should do a video instructions are to complicated!
To hard for me 😭
i cant do it it’s imposible!
Terrible instructions
EZ I LOVE IT
this was a pretty easy thing to do.
How did you do that it’s so cool😃
I was fun and easy
thank you i loved it
Hi do you play roblox
yes
I loved making a fortune teller.
Yes
its really easy and i made some funny words inside the flap🤣
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🤬😖😶🌫️
EZ
It is so hard how do you do it
Easy.
Follow the instructions, maybe go slower when you read it?
So easy with the instructions
🤭 it seems hard but its easy 😱
I tried making a puppet out of paper the other day, but I failed. I found this fortune teller and was like, BOOM!
I can’t do it
Nooooo a pooing puppet 😵😵😵
I dint get it
The fortune tellers are really hard to make for me.
This was very helpful
So easy my six year old did it. Thanks!
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 👍.
Amazing and fun to make!!!!!! Thanksssssss!!!
Thank you! So easy my 5 yr followed along without hesitation! Appreciate it!
It was really helpful and now I can trick my friends.
i cant make it oj oj
This ”helping” guide to make a fortune teller was horiable, I couldn’t make anything! To confusing.
Very easy to make, and fun! Love it.