I’ve never met a Zoltar machine I didn’t take a photograph with. I don’t know why, but I love fortune-telling kitsch. In 2014 I decided to make a fortune-telling claw machine named Madame Zalameda (we lived in the Alameda neighborhood at the time).
You use the levers to move the claw around and pick up a fortune inside. All the fortunes were kid-friendly since my 12-year-old daughter and friends were the most likely customers.
I used a toy claw machine I found on sale at Toys R Us, a doll we found at Goodwill, and a crystal ball ornament.
Here’s an example of one of the fortunes and a behind-the-scenes look at how I made it.
Nimble Narrative 