How to Fold and Use a Paper Fortune Teller

A paper fortune teller is a simple yet fun craft that creates infinite entertainment for you and your friends. All you need is a piece of paper, something to write with, and your imagination to come up with some fun and unique fortunes. Keep reading for step-by-step instructions to make your very own fortune teller and get ready to amaze your friends with your predictions!

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Folding the Fortune Teller

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1
Fold a square piece of paper in half diagonally twice. Fold the top right corner down 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 down to the bottom right corner. Crease the fold with your fingernail before unfolding it again. You’ll be left with two diagonal crease that make an X shape. ^{[1]
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- If you're using a piece of rectangular paper, you can cut it into a square .
- Use colored paper to make your fortune teller stand out.
- Use construction paper to make your fortune teller more sturdy and less flimsy.
2
Fold the paper in half from top to bottom twice. 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 to the right 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 4 lines intersecting in the middle. ^{[2]
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- Make sure you’re folding so that the creases all remain on the same side. The raised edges should all be on one side of the paper, while the indents should all remain on the other.
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3
Bring the four corners to the center of the paper. Start with one of the bottom corners and fold it into the middle of the paper where all four creases intersect so that it makes a triangle. Press down on the fold with a fingernail so it stays in place. Turn your paper 90 degrees to the right and fold the new bottom right corner toward the center. Keep rotating and folding your paper until you’ve made a smaller square containing 4 triangles. ^{[3]
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- If the paper doesn’t stay in place when you press it with your fingernail, then use the edge of a spoon or knife to run along the fold.
Turn your paper over to the other side so you don’t see the folds. Take the bottom right corner and fold it toward the middle where the creases intersect. Press down on the fold with your finger to crease it. Rotate the paper 90 degrees to the right and fold the new bottom right corner to the middle of the paper and crease. Repeat this until you’re left with a square made up of 8 small triangles. ^{[4]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Filling in the Fortunes

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1
Number each small triangle 1 through 8. Start with the number 1 on the top left triangle on the fortune teller. Write the numbers in ascending order while moving clockwise around the fortune teller until you reach number 8. ^{[5]
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- Each of the smaller triangles will be on half of a larger triangle. If you want to make their separation more obvious, draw a line along the crease between them using a marker or colored pencil.
2
Write a fortune under each number. Open up the triangular flap labeled 1 and 2 and write a short fortune underneath each number. Keep the fortunes short or use small handwriting to fit them onto the paper. Repeat the process under the flap for each number so you have 8 different fortunes in total. Fortunes can be a mix of good and bad. Some examples include: ^{[6]
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- You’ll meet the love of your life soon
- You’re going to get a lot of money
- You’re going to be happy
- You’re about to get some bad news
- You’re going to misplace something
3
Flip the fortune teller over and color in the four squares. Turn your paper over so the 4 small squares are face up. Using markers, crayons, or colored pencils, fill in each square with a different color. If you’re using markers, let the marker dry completely before you use your fortune teller. ^{[7]
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- If you don’t have colored markers, just write the name of the color on the squares instead.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Playing with the Fortune Teller

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Flip your fortune teller over so the numbers are face up. Fold the top edge of the fortune teller down to the bottom edge so 2 of your colored squares are on each side. ^{[8]
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2
Slide your thumbs and index fingers into the slots under the squares. Lift up the squares slightly so that you can fit your thumbs under the bottom two squares and your index fingers under the top two. With your fingers under the squares, press the corners toward the center of the fortune teller to form a cone shape. The four corners will meet in the middle of the fortune teller. ^{[9]
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- Be careful when you’re folding the corners inwards since the paper could potentially rip if you’re too rough.
3
Pick a color and spell it out while opening and closing the fortune teller. Select one of the colors from the four on the fortune teller. Once you pick a color, spell it out loud and open the fortune teller with each letter. Alternate the direction you open the fortune teller by either spreading your thumbs and index fingers apart from top to bottom or pinching your thumb and index finger together and pulling the fortune teller left and right. When you reach the last letter, leave the fortune teller open. ^{[10]
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- For example, if you chose the color red, you'd say "R" and open the fortune teller one direction. Then, you'd say "E" and open it the other way. Finally, you'd say "D" and open it in the other direction one more time.
4
Choose a number and open the fortune teller that many times. When the fortune teller is open, look at the 4 numbers displayed inside. Select one of the numbers and count it out with your fortune teller, alternating the direction you open it each time. Once you’re finished counting, leave the fortune teller open in that position. ^{[11]
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- If you picked an even number, the fortune teller will end in the same position. If you picked an odd number, you’ll see new numbers to choose from.
5
Pick a number to reveal your fortune. Choose a number inside the fortune teller to select your fortune. Take your fingers out from the bottom and lift the flap for the number you picked. Read the fortune out loud for your friends to hear. ^{[12]
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- Keep playing the fortune teller until you reveal all of the fortunes.

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Question

What can I do if this doesn't work?

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Make sure that you are working with a square sheet of paper; it should measure the same on all four sides. If it is a rectangle, like printer paper, it will not work. Also, try using thinner paper, such as origami paper; it folds easier and is already the correct shape. Lastly, keep trying!

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What is a good fortune?

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A good fortune would include things like winning the lottery, getting a new car, and having a dream job.

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Do they have to be fortune tellers specifically, or can they offer other information?

Community Answer

Fortune tellers should generally tell fortunes, but you could get creative and find some other fun things to write inside.

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Tips

If you have small hands, use a smaller piece of paper to make a fortune teller that’s a good size for you to operate.

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You don’t have to only write fortunes. Switch things up and write things like dares or questions to give your friends.

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Use colored paper to make your fortune teller more colorful.

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Things You’ll Need

Scissors (if using a rectangular piece of paper)
Square paper
Pen
Markers, crayons, or colored pencils

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How to Fold and Use a Paper Fortune Teller

Steps

Folding the Fortune Teller

Filling in the Fortunes

Playing with the Fortune Teller

Community Q&A

Video

Tips

Things You’ll Need

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