Growing up in the 90's, paper fortune tellers sit on the shelf of childhood quick creativity alongside that of paper aeroplanes. A toy that you could knock up in a minute with an easily accessable resource, paper fortune tellers could entertain both you and your friends for an entire school play time break.
The shape made it's first appearance in the west as a salt cellar in the 1928 publication Fun with Paper Folding by William D. Murray & Francis J. Rigney. It's use as a fortune telling toy can be dated back to the 1950's in England.
Want to make your own? It's super easy, here's how:
1) Take a sheet of A4 paper (A4 paper is readily available whereas square paper for paper folding is a specialist purchase), scissors (if you have them to hand) and coloured pens (or something to decorate your creation with)
2) Take one corner and fold diagonally to create a triangle.
3) Flip over and fold the rectangular end back on itself (you can use scissors if you find that easier).
*Tip* Use the corner you took initially and the edge of the triangle as a guide to get the fold square
4) Fold the rectangle back and forth to weaken the seam and then tear off.
5) Fold into a triangle the other way.
6) Fold the square both horizontally and vertically folding the ends inside the triangle folds.
7) Open out.
8) Fold each corner into the middle.
9) Flip over
10) Fold each corner into the middle.
11) Fold in half both vertically and horizontally.
12) Insert your thumbs/fingers into the four outside flaps and work open.
12) Decorate, add numbers, write messages, draw animal/monster faces, go nuts!
13) Entertain your friends with your new found divination ability!
Need a bit more help? Check out the video below: