How to Make a Fortune Teller (Printable Diagram Included) + Cootie Catcher Design Ideas

Learn how to make a fortune teller, one of the coolest origami projects ever. These origami fortune tellers go by many different names; some people call them cootie catchers (which is what we like to call them), some call them paper chatterboxes, and a few others.

Whatever you call them, we agree they’re pretty fun – follow the step-by-step instructions and create them yourself.

But why stop there? Turn your flea trap into a puppet (we have plenty of printable templates waiting for you, as well as instructions on how to decorate it with origami).

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Most of us have made louse traps in school where they were used as “fortune tellers”. You would write the names of boys and girls inside the louse trap (usually classmates) and then with the help of this homemade paper toy, it would be decided who was the “other half”, a secret crush or something like that.

This game is really fun, and while we love sharing fun lice-catching designs with you, this “basic” fortune-telling game is still our favorite.

In this tutorial you will learn how to make a fortune teller out of paper (origami paper is best, although you can cut a square piece of paper for the same purpose).

We’ll also show you some ideas on how to make them really unique – decorate them into sharks, bears, even tigers – the fun will never end with origami fortune telling!

Do you like origami? We have lots of other fun and easy origami for kids and beginners

How to be a fortune teller

What you need

a square piece of paper/origami paper
If you make a lice puppet; you will also need scissors, colored paper, glue…

You can also download a free printable folding diagram at the end of this tutorial.

Step by step folding instructions

Start with a square sheet of paper/origami paper.

For a regular paper fortune teller, you can use regular paper – for the lice puppets; you can also use craft paper. It works fine.

Start folding. First, fold the origami paper in half to form a long rectangle. Make sharp creases. Unfold.

Continue folding the origami paper in half again, this time along the other side. Fold nicely. Unfold.

You will see a “cross” on your square paper.

Tip: You can also fold diagonally – this will make the final step easier.

We usually skip this step because it makes the louse puppets look cooler.

Turn the paper over; the colored side or the side with the fortune teller’s image should face the table.

Start folding and bring one corner to the center of the paper.

Do the same with the remaining 3 corners. Fold all of them into the middle. Fold evenly.

You will get a square by folding all the corners inwards again.

Turn the paper over.

Again, start folding – bringing the corners to the center.

Do the same with the remaining 3 corners.

Fold in half. “Close” – the “triangles” should be on the inside, and the “squares” should be on the outside after you fold in half (see photo below).

One side of the rectangle has “openings”.

Push your finger into those holes and wiggle it around a bit; as you continue to wiggle, the lice trap will start to form.

Congratulations! You have learned how to be a fortune teller!

Now let’s move on to the more fun part and make some quirky lice catching puppets.

Get printable fortune telling chart

Be a fortune teller on the go – print our origami diagram here: Fortune Teller Origami Diagram

Access to all printable designs

Cootie Catcher Design Ideas – Create Fun Puppets in No Time

We provide many of these chip trap templates as printable PDFs so you can simply print, cut and fold them.

Alternatively, you can also use regular origami paper (or printer paper cut into squares) and create all sorts of fun creations – tigers, peacocks and hedgehogs are some of our favourites, so give them a try!

Shark

It’s raw and one of our favorites.

Get your free shark lice removal kit here

Forest Animal Lice Catcher

Lots of jungle creatures are waiting for you.

Tiger Fortune Teller

Make an orange origami toy or use our adorable printable tiger paper toy template (black and white and color versions available).

Get Tiger Lice Catcher Sample – > Tiger Lice Catcher

Lice Catcher

Peacocks are super fun to make because of their beautiful feathered tail. Make a tail using blue origami paper and paper strips or print out our fun design.

Get the peacock pattern here: Peacock Cootie Catcher

Mouse design ideas

Using gray or origami paper, make a fortune teller; cut out two large gray circles and two small pink circles for the ears. Add a few details, and you have a mouse!

Magic Unicorn

Are you ready for magic? Let’s create a unicorn!

Download our printable template here: Unicorn Cootie Catcher

Horse Lice Remover

The horse is on the same cuteness level as the unicorn. You can definitely make it from regular paper too!

Get the printable: Horse Cootie Catcher

Lice remover for pigs

Oh oh, oh! Turn a pink origami paper into a cute fortune telling puppet!

Get the printable: Pig Cootie Catcher

Raawr Dinosaur!

Download our template here: Dinosaur Cootie Catcher

Happy

Or get our printable version: Crab Cootie Catcher

Chicken

Sample: Chicken Cootie Catcher

Türkiye

Turkey Lice Catcher

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Categories: Activities for Kids
Source: fetb.edu.vn

Matthew Oldham

Name: Matthew Oldham Title: Author and Professional Illustrator Biography: Matthew Oldham is an accomplished author and illustrator, renowned for his engaging educational books published with Usborne. With a background in English literature, he has a flair for making complex subjects accessible and enjoyable for young readers. Before his writing career, he worked with the BBC, where he produced comedic radio programs. His transition into illustration allowed him to combine his love for storytelling with his artistic talents. Skills and Interests: Matthew’s illustrations are characterized by their vibrant colors and intricate details, bringing life to the subjects he writes about. He is an avid cyclist who enjoys exploring the outdoors, often drawing inspiration from nature for his artwork. On quieter days, he can be found lounging with a good book or sketching new ideas for his next project. Contributions: Matthew’s books cover a wide range of topics, from history and science to the wonders of the Earth. His illustrations not only complement his writing but also stand alone as works of art, exhibited in galleries and used in educational materials worldwide. His dedication to both writing and illustrating has made him a beloved figure in children’s literature and art education.