Have you played with these when you were a kid? We did – a lot! But this shark cootie catcher is just a bit more awesome than your regular fortune teller!
Folding paper is an art and origami for kids projects are perfect for beginners!
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You Can Watch the Video Tutorial
We think origami instructions are the easiest to follow by watching videos, so we prepared a video for you to see how to make these fierce sea dwellers.
Or Check the Steps on How to Make a Shark Cootie Catcher
First you will need to print our template for this cute little creature. Kids will love this one!
You can print it on regular print paper or glossy paper (photography paper works pretty well with paper toys such as this one).
Once printed cut out the square with the shark design, as well as the fins that come with it.
First fold the square paper in half to make a crease.
Make sure the fold is crisp – run a craft stick across the fold. Neat and crisp folds will make it easier to fold this origami. Unfold.
Rotate the paper and fold again across the middle. Crease and unfold.
Flip the paper so that the white side is facing you (the desing should be facing the table.
Fold all 4 corners towards the middle (see image bellow to see how your project should look).
Flip the paper again – have the white side facing you again and the design facing the table.
Fold the 4 corners towards the middle again.
Make sure the folds are crisp – run a craft stick across them.
Fold the square shape in half to get the long rectangle (the side with the teeth will stay inside).
Push your fingers into the pockets (square pockets) and push the flaps up to open up the cootie catcher.
You might need to wiggle your fingers a little bit to make the shark cootie catcher form.
When you’ve folded your fiercely adorable shark all there’s left to do is to add the fins.
You can also glue together the head and body so that only the shark’s mouth opens.
Ready to fold your own? Scroll a bit more to grab your free template.
Grab the Printable Template
I was planning to show you guys a tutorial on how to make these cootie catchers or origami fortune tellers as they are also called but then I stumbled upon this awesome lion cootie catcher and got inspired to create this shark version!
More cootie catchers to print and have fun with:
Chick and Bunny Cootie Catcher
Forest Animals Cootie Catchers
More Awesome Shark Crafts and Activities to Celebrate Shark Week
Ready for shark week? I’ve teamed up with some of my favorite bloggers and these are their shark inspired creations – be sure to check them all out!
Print another shark puppet that’s super fun to play with.
Learn how to draw a shark.
Make a shark bookmark.
Start with this feed the shark fine motor game – oh how fun! School Time Snippets
Love paper plate crafts (we do!) – make this rockin’ paper plate shark! Artsy Momma
You’ll love this free shark themed printable. The Natural Homeschool
Or this I spy shark printable. Simple Fun for Kids
Also check this Sh Sound Digraph Game. Sight and Sound Reading
Last but not least grab these under the sea coloring pages. Living Life and Learning
Grab the Printable Template
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This is so adorable, what a cute way to celebrate shark week!
These are great. I like the bright blue and pink colours. Much less menacing than grey and red!
When I was young, my friends and I used the same folding technique to create a game. We’d write silly things on the inside (like your fortune, future job or potential crush) and take our pick of the little triangles. Good times!
This is so cute! Going to try this for my little grand boys who just LOVE sharks!
Thank you! Discovered you through the Blitsy giveaway. Your page is awesome!
Love this! Thanks so much for sharing !!
I ? Origami
Lovely. Thank your very much for sharing.
This was a very frustrating website and download process and ultimately unsuccessful. Thanks for nothing.
I am sorry that you are having difficulties with downloading the template.
But I really can’t make the process easier than what it already is – clicking the highlighted text under the headline that says “Grab the Printable Template” that opens the PDF for you.
Hi , thank you for sharing, I wonder what kind of paper do I use to print out the template? the regualr paper in a regular printer? or do a need the kind that is a bit” harder”
We used regular print paper for this one.
Andreja, this is adorable and I LOVE the video! My 3 and 4 year olds in my preschool class are not ready to do this whole project but I am thinking that I can have older students come in and fold it with them, if I can talk the older kids into let my little guys KEEP it when they are done! LOL
Sinea ♥
Thank you. Beatifull
Just wondering if there is a black and white template for the kids to color? Colored on is cute but would find it more involving for the children if the get to color it themselves. Thank you.
Thank you so much for sharing this! We used these as one of our activities for our Shark Week Event Schedule on our blog and social media and tagged you back! The kids loved these and playing puppets and singing “Baby Shark” with them!