You really can’t graduate from childhood without learning how to make a cootie catcher (or origami fortune teller). Once you learn, it remains in the deep recesses of your brain forever!

When my daughter is at sleep away camp, I like to send her fun things in the mail (because I can only update her on the dog and our whereabouts so much). So I made this cootie catcher, wrote fortunes that will hopefully make her friends giggle, and sent it flat in an envelope. Our camp has a no packages policy (which I love!) so it’s fun for her to get something unusual!

Instructions for folding are below. Here are the instructions for playing this version that I made!

1. Friend picks a letter. You open and close the cootie catcher starting with the letter A until you get to that letter (I spelled the name of her camp).
2. Then, friend selects a sticker from the inside and you open and close the cootie catcher as you spell it. (If you are in need of the cutest stickers on the planet, go check out Pipsticks.)
3. Lastly the friend picks a sticker and you open up the flap and read the fortune.

Fold paper in half to make a rectangle, then unfold.

Fold in half in the other direction to make another rectangle and unfold.

Fold two points together diagonally to form a triangle, and unfold. 

Fold the other two points together, and unfold.

Fold four points into the center.

Keep folded, flip over, and fold those four points into the center.

Fold in half to form a rectangle to deepen the crease; unfold. Repeat and fold in the opposite direction into a rectangle. Deepen the crease and unfold.

Push four corners together, and slip your thumbs and forefingers into the compartments to complete the shape.

(Ignore that the pattern is on the inside of this one…the above instructions are correct!)

July 5, 2025| Everyday Crafts, Paper, Summer