One rainy afternoon in Yorkshire, I promised my three kids a “treat” and then handed them a bowl of… paper. To be fair, they were fortune cookies made from bright scrapbook paper, and each one had a joke inside. The groans were loud. The giggles were louder. Parenting win.
These paper fortune cookies are wonderfully convincing, gloriously silly, and perfect for parties, playdates, or a Tuesday when the living room needs a bit of nonsense.
What you’ll need
- Colourful scrapbook paper or any paper that holds a crease (lightweight card can work too, as long as it is not too stiff)
- A round template (a wide mug, bowl, or side plate) and a pencil
- Scissors
- Glue stick or double-sided tape (optional but helpful if you are making a whole party bowl)
- Small scraps of paper for the joke fortunes
- Pen or marker
Dad tip: If your paper is very slippery, a tiny dot of glue helps the cookie stay “pinched” instead of doing the sad spring-open moment.
How to fold paper fortune cookies
You’re aiming for a classic fortune cookie shape: a folded half-circle, then pinched in the middle to make a little pocket.
Step 1: Make paper circles
Trace around a wide mug (if it’s big enough), a bowl, or a side plate and cut out circles. A good starting size is roughly 10 to 12 cm across. Bigger circles make bigger pockets, which is great if your kids write fortunes the length of a novel.
Step 2: Fold in half
Fold the circle into a neat half-moon. Press the crease firmly.
Step 3: Add a tiny glue dot (optional)
If you want extra staying power, add a tiny dot of glue or tape inside the folded half-moon, right on the straight edge at the centre. This is the spot that gets pressed together when you do the pinch.
No glue is totally fine for a few cookies. If you are making a big bowl for a party (or your kids like to aggressively “test” them), that dot helps.
Step 4: Press closed again
With the glue dot in place (if using it), press the half-moon closed and reinforce the crease.
Step 5: Pinch into the cookie shape
Hold the half-moon with the curved edge at the top and the straight edge at the bottom. Use your thumbs to push the centre of the straight edge inward while your fingers pull the ends slightly forward. The paper will naturally form that fortune cookie bend. Pinch the middle firmly.
If it pops open, add a tiny dot of glue inside the pinch point and hold for 10 seconds. Try not to glue your own fingers together. This is advice from experience. Sticky, sticky experience.
How to add the joke fortunes
Cut fortune strips about 1 x 7 cm as a starting point, then adjust based on your circle size and paper thickness. Fold each strip once or twice so it tucks neatly inside the pocket.
Assembly order that works best:
- Fold the circle into a half-moon.
- Slide the folded fortune strip inside the half-moon near the centre crease.
- Pinch into the cookie shape.
- Use a tiny dot of glue in the pinch if needed.
The trick is keeping the fortune close to the centre so it doesn’t poke out like a little paper tongue.
Decorating ideas
- Sticker sprinkle: A couple of stickers on each cookie looks great and hides wobbly cuts.
- Doodle designs: Faces, zigzags, or “sprinkles” with markers. My kids love drawing suspicious eyebrows.
- Washi tape stripe: A single strip across the outside adds colour and helps lightweight paper feel sturdier.
- Number the cookies: Write numbers on the outside, then make a quick game: “Pick cookie number 7” or “Find the cookie with a star.”
30 hilarious joke fortunes (kid-friendly)
These are designed to fit on small strips. Mix and match, or let your kids invent their own. Warning: once they realise they can write fortunes, you will receive many “You will do my chores” predictions.
- Your lucky number is: 8.5 (because you’re not quite a 9).
- Fortune: You will find something you lost… in the last place you look (obviously).
- Prediction: A snack is in your future. A very crunchy one.
- Joke: What do you call cheese that isn’t yours? Nacho cheese.
- Joke: Why did the banana go to the doctor? It wasn’t peeling well.
- Joke: What do you call a sleeping dinosaur? A dino-snore.
- Joke: How do oceans say hello? They wave.
- Joke: Why can’t your nose be 12 inches long? Because then it would be a foot.
- Joke: What’s brown and sticky? A stick.
- Joke: What did one wall say to the other wall? I’ll meet you at the corner.
- Joke: Why did the bicycle fall over? It was two-tired.
- Joke: What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear.
- Joke: What do you get when you cross a snowman and a vampire? Frostbite.
- Joke: Why did the cookie go to the hospital? It felt crummy.
- Joke: What do you call a boomerang that doesn’t come back? A stick.
- Joke: Why did the scarecrow win an award? He was outstanding in his field.
- Joke: What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta.
- Joke: How does a penguin build its house? Igloos it together.
- Joke: What do you call a pile of cats? A meowtain.
- Joke: What did the zero say to the eight? Nice belt.
- Dad joke fortune: You will laugh at a joke you pretend you didn’t like.
- Dad joke fortune: Someone will ask you to do something. You will say, “I’m on it.”
- Fortune: Today you will be 12% more awesome than yesterday.
- Fortune: You will make a new friend. Probably someone who also likes snacks.
- Fortune: A wild idea will appear. Catch it gently.
- Fortune: You will discover a song that gets stuck in your head. Sorry about that.
- Fortune: Your future contains glitter. It will also contain regret.
- Fortune: You will do a kind thing and feel like a superhero.
- Fortune: You will spot a hidden treasure. It might be a coin. It might be a crisp.
- Final prophecy: You will read this fortune and say, “That’s not a real fortune.” And yet, here we are.
If you want more giggles for the stash, hop over to our kids jokes guide and grab a few favourites.
Ways to use paper fortune cookies
Party laugh bowl
Dump a bowl of cookies on the table and let kids pick one as they arrive. Instant icebreaker, and it buys you a full 90 seconds to find the tape.
Lunchbox surprise
Slip one into a lunchbox (paper only, please, no actual crumbs). If your kid trades it for a penguin-shaped biscuit, that’s just economics.
Family dinner fortune round
Everyone opens one before pudding. The rule in our house is: you must read it in your most dramatic voice.
Kindness twist
Make half the fortunes jokes and half tiny kind dares like “Tell someone one thing you like about them.” If you like that idea, our Make a Kind Joke card game has the same sweet-and-silly vibe.
Make them more realistic
- Use two-toned paper: one colour outside, another inside.
- Gently curve the edges: run the paper over a marker barrel to give it a soft bend before folding.
- Add a tiny crease at the lip: a small pinch near the opening makes it look baked.
- Batch it: cut all circles first, then fold all half-moons, then pinch all cookies.
Age tips and safety notes
- Ages 3 to 5: Pre-cut circles and let them decorate with stickers. You do the pinching and gluing.
- Ages 6 to 9: They can cut, fold, and write fortunes. Expect creative spelling and even more creative “prophecies.”
- Ages 10+: Challenge them to write the best joke fortune in under 12 words.
Keep an eye on scissors and small paper bits with little ones, especially if you have a toddler who treats crafts like a buffet.
Try this next
If your kids enjoy the “fold, reveal, laugh” moment, an origami-style joke teller is basically the same magic but with more flipping and dramatic pointing. We have a full guide here: Origami Joke Teller Folding Guide and 40 Funny Prompts.
And if you need a wider rainy-day menu, our kids crafts guide is full of low-fuss ideas that work with whatever is currently living in your recycling bin.
Quick troubleshooting
My cookie won’t stay pinched
Use paper that is not too stiff, crease more firmly, or add a tiny dot of glue on the inside centre of the straight edge before pinching. Hold it closed for 10 seconds.
The fortune keeps falling out
Fold the strip smaller and tuck it closer to the centre crease before pinching.
My circles look wonky
Congratulations, you have made authentic “handmade” cookies. No one has ever laughed less because a circle was a bit wobbly.