Need to tell tales around the space campfire? This paper story teller will help you come up with endless (sort of) stories. All you need is paper, pens and a big burst of inspiration. If you run out of the latter, don’t be afraid to draw from media you love: what matters is what you’ll end up with once everything comes together!
Supplies:
- Paper (not too heavy, as you’ll need to fold it)
- scissors
- pens, markers or pencils in 5 different colors.
Instructions:
Step 1 – make a paper fortune teller. I used steps 1 to 3 of this tutorial (click to view). Or use the picture and instructions below:
a) Fold a square of paper diagonally, top right corner to bottom left corner, then top left to bottom right, and unfold. Fold in half from each side, right edge to left edge, top edge to bottom edge, unfolding after each fold.
b) Once your paper is flat again, fold all four corners towards the middle, where all your lines intersect. You now have a smaller square.
c) Flip the paper over and fold all four corners towards the middle again, making an even smaller square.
Step 2 – now that your fortune teller is done, it’s time to get creative with the elements of your stories. Flip the paper again; on each of the squares where you’ll put your fingers, write down a potential character. I’m doing a space-themed one, so I put down an astronaut, a scientist, an astronomer and a space pirate
Step 3 – Flip the paper and, near each corner of your square, put two colored dots, one on each small triangle. Use a different color for each corner; you’ll end up with 8 dots, 2 in each color. This way, no matter how you open and close the storyteller, you’ll always see one dot of each color. Now, it’s time to get creative: in each of the 8 triangles, write down a location. Here I have a moon, a spaceship, an escape pod… These are the places the story could start or take place in.
Step 4 – And now, for the plots! Lift the flaps to expose the inner 8 triangles. On the outer corner of each, write a number from 1 to 8. Then write on each triangle something that could apply to the locations you chose before, and that could serve as the inception for a story. Here, my location could be drifting off course, moving through a wormhole, have its funding cut off, be about to explode…
Step 5 – Time to play! I start by picking one of the 4 characters, then deciding on a number and a color. Let’s say I want a story about a space pirate, and I’ll pick green and 4. I’m going to open and close the storyteller 4 times: the green location there is a space whale. Then I’m going to unfold the storyteller and read plot number 4: my space pirate’s adventure will take place on a space whale captured by mercenaries…
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Now it’s your turn to create your own storytellers. Whether you actually write a full story, draw something or just have fun coming up with different scenarios, please tell me about the wild adventures you create!
Hosted by: Dale
Lacking the funds to become a proper space pirate, Dale AKA Doc Von Ondine/Camper Harlock has settled for annoying everyone in their vicinity with heavy metal music, garish shirts and increasingly weird questions. If they’re not singing or spouting animal facts, beware: they might be eating your food.
