How to Make a Paper Fortune Teller

There are times either in school or at home were boredom seems to overwhelm us all. Some people wish they had a creative craft that they were good at, or a hobby to help pass the time. If you happen to look for something easy and fun to do with your younger friends or family members this is a good start. It is important to vary your activities and find something different to do. Many people have used, seen or played with a paper fortuneteller. It is something different to share with friends, and a unique sense of nostalgia. It can also work as an icebreaker for the less outgoing people. It instantly gives you something to talk about. It is very simple to make and requires almost no skill whatsoever. This is an advantage for the ones of us that can only follow limited directions. As long as you bring along your creativity, making a fortuneteller can be something fun to do.

II. Materials needed
A. paper(any type)
B. pencil/pen/something to write with
C. colored pencils (optional)
D. markers (optional)
E. crayons (optional)
F. highlighters (optional)

III. Directions
A. Take the piece of paper and fold the top right or top left-hand corner of the paper to the bottom of the opposite side. This makes a triangle at the top and leaves an extra rectangle of paper at the bottom.
B. Get rid of the extra rectangle of paper at the bottom by using scissors or careful tearing of the paper.
C. Once the piece is removed, keep the paper folded and fold once more so that the tips of the longest side meet and create a smaller triangle shape. This creates a guideline for later folding.
D. Unfold paper. It should appear as though there is an X fold in the paper.
E. Take each tip of the square and make it so that each tip is touching in the center of the smaller square shape.
F. Turn small square over.
G. Repeat the last step. (Fold each tip to the center of the square.
H. Fold in half.
I. Insert fingers into the small square openings. There are four in all. These are for the index fingers and thumbs on each hand.
J. Alternate between opening and closing the fortuneteller to make sure that it is done correctly.

IV. Decorating and Writing
A. Using a writing utensil, write the names of four different colors on each of the finger openings.
B. (optional) Color each of the sections the selected color.
C. Open the fortuneteller so that the inside flaps are visible.
D. Divide each of the four interior flaps in half by drawing a line down the center of each one.
E. Write the numbers 1-8 on each of the tabs. You should have two numbers on each of the four tabs.
F. Open each of the four flaps one at a time and draw a line down the middle.
G. (Here's the fun part) Come up with eight different fortunes to write inside. There should be a separate fortune beneath each number.
H. Fold the fortuneteller back so that you are able to manipulate the four flaps with the colors on it.
I. You are now ready to tell someone's fortune.

V. Sharing with a friend
A. Ask your friend to pick one of the four colors written on the outside of the fortuneteller.
B. Whichever color they choose, you must move the fortuneteller with each letter of the word. You are spelling out the selected word and stopping at the end to reveal the numbers on the interior.
C. Ask them to then select a number but only one of the numbers that you have stopped at, as opposed to 1-8.
D. Do the same motion as the color but only as many times as the selected number indicates.
E. Ask them to again pick a number that is displayed.
F. Lift up the flap of the selected number and read the fortune written on the inside.
G. Repeat with someone different.

VI. Conclusion

The wonderful thing about the fortunetellers is that the fortunes inside can be adjusted to fit anyone. They can be fun and you can get as creative as you'd like with them or you can quickly make one if you don't have that much time. Just remember to be creative with the fortunes because that is what makes it worth your time...to tell people their fortunes and see if it comes true.