How to Make Paper Fortune Tellers

Cheap, festive, and just a little bit addictive, paper fortune tellers can also be a bit confusing. How do you fold them? How do they work? We've got the answers plus 18 free free printables!

What are paper fortune tellers?

You may remember folding simple paper fortune tellers in elementary school. My childhood friends and I used to fold them from notebook paper. We called the folded paper games fortune tellers because we pretended they had a sixth sense and used them to "predict" the number of children we would have, determine our true love, or pinpoint future careers.

The History of the Paper Fortune Teller

What are paper fortune tellers? Fortune tellers are a simple paper game made by folding a square of paper into a moveable device with 8 flaps that are filled with messages or “fortunes.”

Where did paper fortune tellers come from? The exact origin of the cootie catcher is unknown (some claim they came from 17th century Europe while others believe they are a Japanese origami invention) but it’s safe to say that they were popular with children all over the world by the early 20th century.

What are fortune tellers called? Never heard of paper fortune tellers? You may have called them cootie catchers, salt cellars, or chatterboxes, depending on where you lived as a child.

Fortune Tellers for Kids

When my kids entered elementary school, I was reintroduced to origami fortune tellers and was amazed at the continued popularity of these simple paper crafts! As a busy mom, I appreciate easy crafts that give me time to interact with my kiddos.

Fortune tellers are fun for many reasons:

• They're an easy way to keep kids off of electronic devices!
• They teach simple origami folding skills!
• They're full of fun surprises kids love!
• They're perfect for classroom parties and holiday celebrations!

What do you need to make a paper fortune teller?

To make a paper fortune teller, you'll need a square piece of paper and a pen or pencil to write the messages or fortunes on the flaps. That's all you need to get started!

Want to get fancier? Scroll down for my free printable patterns for Fortune Teller. You can print them in full color or print them in black and white to decorate yourself.

I turned the fortune tellers of my past into printable crafts that are fun for parents & kids (or teachers & students) by replacing the silly "psychic readings" we wrote as kids with silly jokes, conversation-starting questions, and even random acts of kindness.

The themes of the printable cootie catchers range from holiday jokes to boredom busters. Each comes with a full-color version to print, a black-and-white version to print and color, and complete folding instructions for new users.

How to Make Fortune Teller Out of Paper

Start with these supplies, then follow the instructions below.

Supplies

To make a paper fortune teller, you'll need:

•  a square piece of paper (you can use construction paper or typing paper)
• a pen, markers, or colored pencils to write the messages or fortunes on the flaps
• That's all you need to get started! If you want to get fancy, you can also use the free printable patterns for fortune tellers provided in the blog post.

Step by Step Instructions

To make a fortune teller out of paper, follow these simple steps:

Fold the Fortune Teller

1. Fold the paper in half diagonally to create a triangle, crease with your fingernail, and unfold it.
2. Fold the paper in half diagonally the other way to create another triangle, crease with your fingernail, and unfold it.
3. Flip the paper over and fold all four corners into the center.
4. Flip the paper over again and fold all four corners into the center once more.
5. Fold the paper in half horizontally and vertically to create creases, then unfold it.
6. Push the middle of the paper inwards to create the fortune teller shape.

That's it! You're ready to write your messages or fortunes on the flaps and start using your paper fortune teller. For more detailed instructions, you can also check out the free printable patterns and folding instructions provided in the blog post.

Decorate and Fill the FortuneTeller

To decorate and fill the fortune teller, follow these steps:

1. Once you have folded the paper into the fortune teller shape, use a marker to add short words or numbers to the outside flaps. Use a different color on each.

2. Next, write short messages or different fortunes on the inside flaps. Be creative and fill them with funny predictions, jokes, or conversation-starting questions.

2. If you want to get fancy, you can also use the free printable patterns for fortune tellers provided below. These printable patterns come in full color or black and white for coloring.

3. Once you have filled the flaps with your messages, your paper fortune teller is ready to use and enjoy!

Want more fortune tellers fun?

Get my HUGE 12 Month of Furtune Tellers bundle today!

The instant download e-book contains 39 of the best fortune tellers for spring, summer, fall, and winter. All major holidays are covered!  (Psst... there's even a discount!)

Free Printable Fortune Tellers

We're also the best site for free paper fortune tellers! The fortune tellers below are available for free download.

Click on the links below to learn more about each fortune teller, the PDF download is available for free on the description page.