How to Make a Paper Fortune Teller
Learn to fold a classic origami paper fortune teller from standard paper, complete with numbered flaps and custom hidden fortunes for interactive fun.
- Read the tools, materials, safety notes, and steps below for free.
- Tap Start Camera Coach when you want hands-free voice help.
- Allow camera and microphone. Point your phone at the work; the coach watches your progress and tells you the next step.
🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Scissors
- ✓ Bone folder or ruler edge
- ✓ Colored markers (4 distinct colors)
- ✓ Fine-tip pen
- ✓ Clean, flat table surface
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ 1 sheet of 8.5x11-inch paper or 6x6-inch origami paper
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Cut away from yourself when trimming excess paper strips to prevent slips.
- • Smooth paper creases with a bone folder or ruler rather than fingernails to avoid paper cuts.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Create a Precise Square Base
Take a standard sheet of paper and fold one top corner diagonally down until the top edge aligns flush with the side edge, forming a large triangle. Use a bone folder or ruler edge to press a crisp crease along the diagonal. Cut off the excess rectangular strip of paper extending past the triangle using scissors.
- • A perfect right triangle with no overlapping excess overhang.
- • When opened, paper lies flat as an equilateral square with one diagonal crease.
- • Cutting into the triangular section rather than straight along the border edge.
Establish Center Reference Creases
Unfold the triangle to reveal your flat square sheet. Fold the square along the opposite diagonal from corner to corner, crease firmly, and unfold. Next, fold the square in half horizontally and vertically, unfolding after each, to establish an X and cross pattern intersecting at the exact center.
- • An 'X' and a '+' crease pattern meeting at a single center intersection point.
- • All crease lines are sharp and clearly defined.
- • Misaligning the corners, causing the center intersection to become asymmetrical.
Fold the Four Corners to the Center
Lay the paper flat with the creases facing upward. Fold each of the four outer corners inward so their tips meet directly at the center intersection point without overlapping. Crease each fold line firmly with your bone folder or ruler.
- • A smaller square formed by four triangular flaps meeting neatly in the center.
- • No flap overlaps another at the central focal point.
- • Overlapping the corner tips, which causes the fortune teller to bind during movement.
Flip and Fold Reverse Corners Inward
Flip the entire folded paper over so the flat, smooth side without loose flap points faces up. Fold all four outer corners inward to the center point once again, pressing each new crease flat. You will now have an even smaller square featuring four distinct triangular flaps.
- • A smaller square showing four inner triangular flaps split into eight mini-triangles.
- • The underside shows four solid square quadrants.
- • Folding on the same side instead of flipping the paper over first.
Pre-Crease the Finger Pockets
Fold the square in half horizontally to form a rectangle with the solid square flaps on the outside, crease, and unfold. Repeat this fold vertically, crease firmly, and unfold back to the square shape. These structural pre-creases break the paper grain and allow the fortune teller to flex smoothly.
- • The square flexes easily in both horizontal and vertical directions.
- • The four square pockets on the underside remain accessible.
- • Skipping the pre-creasing step, leading to torn pocket seams during shaping.
Pop the Shape into 3D and Label
Slide your thumbs and index fingers beneath the four square pocket flaps on the underside. Push the outer corners toward the center simultaneously until the center collapses inward and the four points stand upright in a 3D pyramid. Flatten slightly to write four colors on the outer flaps, numbers 1 through 8 on the inner triangles, and fortunes under each flap.
- • The fortune teller opens and closes smoothly in two alternating directions.
- • Four distinct colors on outside flaps, 8 numbers on inner flaps, and 8 hidden fortunes written beneath.
- • Writing fortunes with thick wet markers that bleed through to the outside flaps.
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by PPO — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No bone folder? flat edge of a plastic ruler or a clean thumbnail
- No origami paper? standard 8.5x11 printer paper trimmed into a square