How to Make an Origami Crane

Posted on October 21st, 2009 by Marck

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The Japanese call it zenbazuru, or the act of folding 1,000 paper cranes. In Asian legend, finishing the cranes can make a wish come true, but many people consider the art of folding cranes as a way to calm the mind and to soothe the spirit. Here are the steps you need to fold your first among many paper cranes.

Origami Paper

Almost any kind of paper can be used in origami, but many specialists and artists prefer to use origami paper. Origami paper is a thin square of colored paper that can be bought in bookstores or specialty shops. Origami paper is much easier to fold than regular colored paper or bond paper, and can hold the shape, folds and creases of the paper better. If you can find one, try to start with a clean square sheet of origami paper.

Steps

Fold the paper crosswise and diagonally on two edges. You should get a clean, cross-shaped crease that can be folded both ways. Folding the creases as defined and as tightly as possible makes folding the crane easier.

origami cranes

Fold the paper diagonally, with the colored sides exposed.
Bring in the two outside triangles to the center of the piece, forming a diamond shape.
Fold each flap to the center line of the diamond so that the lower edges meet the center line. Make sure that your folds are very defined.
Fold the flaps out, and bring each flap into the center of both sides of the diamond shape. You have now formed a bird base, which can be used to make many other birds.
Fold the outside flaps of the cranes up. You should end up with a diamond shape with the bottom end split into two halves.
Fold the edges of the split part of the diamond into the center line, making very defined creases.
Open the flaps a bit and bring up the split parts to their respective ends of the diamond shape. The new parts of the origami will now form the beak and tail of your paper crane. Fold one end down to create a beak.
Fold the wings down to finish the crane.

Paper cranes may not be able to make a wish come true, but they can calm you from the stresses and strains of daily life. Just repeat the steps above a thousand times over, and you’ll have your own collection of 1,000 cranes that can give you a hopeful inspiration even in the lowest points of your life. After creating your own origami cranes, why don’t you learn how to make an Origami Swan.