Remember “cootie-catchers” or “fortune tellers” from grade school?  Origami-like folded paper creations where you use numbers on the inner flaps to tell you how many times to open and close the fortune teller before you open one of the flaps and learn your fortune?

A good friend inspired me to try this.  I created my own version of a “cootie-catcher” as a self-promotional piece.  This version doesn’t actually predict any fortunes, though I am already planning for version 2.0 and will include some fun fortunes or trivia next time. The outside is a pretty pattern that I had created for an older project, then the inside flaps show some of the products J Sherman Studio designs.  When you open up the inner flaps there are some samples of work and the very inside has a blurb about J Sherman Studio.

Alphagraphics printed these for me on their amazing HP Indigo and the quality is just incredible.  After I folded them there was very little (if any) cracking on the color… you can’t do that with plain old laser printing!Setting up the file was a fun challenge, I had to fold a plain paper template and then scribble on each of the facets so that when I unfolded it I knew what shapes to create and how the type should be oriented.

I folded nearly 35 of these to bring to an event on Tuesday.  I just love how they look all together, so I couldn’t resist taking photos.

I now have my own template set up for these.  This is an inexpensive but eye-catching piece.  It would be lovely at an event as an escort card that opens up to show the menu, or as a self-promotional material the way that I am using it.  I’m going to shamelessly suggest that my clients consider this since it is just so much fun.  Call me if you want to customize your own “cootie-catcher,” I am ready and excited for this!