DLTK's Crafts for Kids
The Ugly Duckling Fortune Teller

I'm sure we've all made these at some point in time (it used to be a sleepover favorite). I've loved to make these ever since I can remember. When I was younger I used to make them from scratch. I'd include questions on the second layer and answers on the third layer. I made them up for thousands of reasons, like holidays, seasons, and even Fairy Tales.

Below are all of the instructions for making a fortune teller from scratch and also a themed template to suite the fairy tale story of The Ugly Duckling.

If you have trouble with the instructions, try reading through the basic origami instructions.

Materials:

square of paper - click here for instructions to make a rectangle of paper (typical 8.5x11 sheet) into a square.
Pen or pencil

Instructions:

Valley fold paper from corner to corner, making a triangle.

Valley fold the triangle from corner to corner, making a smaller triangle.

Unfold everything -- you'll have a square of paper with an X crease.

Fold the corner to the center of the square (where the X crosses)

Repeat with the other three corners.

And you end up with a smaller square!

Flip your paper over

Fold the corner to the center of the square (where the X crosses)

Repeat with the other three corners and you'll end up with an even smaller square

Fold and unfold the bottom edge of the square up to the top

Fold and unfold the left edge of the square over to the right

so that the creases look like an astrix across your small square

This bit is easier to do than it is to explain -- basically, you want to push the four corners of the square together in the center and then slide 4 fingers into the flaps of your fortune teller, creasing the folds back so your fingers fit in nicely. You'll be able to move the flaps with your fingers like little puppets.

At this point, carefully print 4 things on the outside flaps (the standard are blue, red, green and yellow). Print 8 things on the inside flaps (the standard are the numbers 1 thru 8). And print 8 things underneath the inside flaps -- the standard are "fortunes" like:
- You'll be rich
- You'll be famous
- You'll fall in love
- You'll be happy
  
  but you can also add The Ugly Duckling themed fortunes like:.
- You'll find a family of ducks.
- You will be very happy.

To play the standard version:
- ask your favorite color and then flap the fortune teller open one way, then the other spelling out the color (ex: Y E L L O W)
- ask an Ugly Duckling themed question (how many ducklings does the mother duck have?) and then count out the number, again flapping the fortune teller back and forth
- then ask your lucky number, lift that flap and read the person's fortune.

Craft Templates:

Close the template window after printing to return to this screen.
Set page margins to zero if you have trouble fitting the template on one page (FILE, PAGE SETUP or FILE, PRINTER SETUP in most browsers).

Fortune Teller Template color or B&W

Printable version of these instructions

Leanne Guenther

About the Artist/Author:

Hello! I'm Leanne, the creative mind behind coloring.ws. I love nothing more than enjoying a warm cup of tea and a quiet day with a good friend. Here’s a bit more about me:

Things I Love:

Drawing: My happy place is with a pencil in hand, bringing ideas to life on paper.
Creative Writing: I love using my imagination to create delightful stories and playful rhymes for kids.
Early Childhood Education: I absolutely adore those early, eager-to-learn years with kids. Their curiosity and enthusiasm are infectious!
History: Exploring the past helps me understand the present and dream about the future.

Things I Have a Love/Hate Relationship With:

Technology: I love how it connects us and makes things easier, but why does it have to change so quickly?
Trivia Nights: I'm your go-to person for fun facts, yet somehow, I always end up in second or third place. Frustrating!
Gardening: I like to think I have a green thumb, but it has a few brown speckles. My plants and I are working on it.
Animals: I adore my pets and they bring me so much joy, but oh, the chores! Why can’t they clean up after themselves?

I earned my degree back in the early '90s, and as a lifelong learner, I continue to delve into the things I love. This includes technology (though I struggle to keep up!), art, early childhood education, history, and mythology as it relates to sociology.

I know that while the coloring pages are largely for kids, many of you visiting the site are educators and caregivers. I’ve tried to share some interesting trivia tidbits and fun facts to make your visit enjoyable too. Happy coloring!