You will need a square piece of paper. Origami paper is easiest, but you can cut a paper to square if you need to.
Fold the paper in half. One corner to the across from it, to form a triangle.
Fold in half again the other way. Unfold.
Fold in half again, this time to make a rectangle.
Fold the sides of the triangle into itself. Forming a kind of pyramid.
Fold the left open edge into the center and crease.
Fold the right open edge into the center and crease.
Flip the paper over and do repeat on the other side.
It should kind of look like an ice cream cone now.
Lift up the first layer of the bottom corner. A wide mouth will form. Fold by the edges to the middle.
Flip the paper over and repeat on the other side.
Fold the slanted outside edge of the top layer almost to the center.
Flip over and fold the slanted outside edge of almost to the center.
Fold the top point down as far as it goes on both sides. these are your wings. Bring the right half of the front week towards the left. This will cause the neck to pop up from between the wings. Fold the long thin flap, or the neck up. Fold the tip of the neck down to create the head. Repeat this on the left side to pop the tail out, but do not fold the tip of the tail down. Bring the wings up to rest at the crane’s side and you have a perfect origami crane.
Have you ever made an origami crane before?
I have never done oragami or new the background story of the paper cranes. I am so sorry for your loss and like you I love how the community got together.
What a sweet way to memorialize your friend. The cranes are so beautiful and majestic!
I have never been able to make an origami crane–not for lack of trying or for people trying to show me! I do love the way they look and wish I could manipulate paper the way origami is meant to be manipulated.
You truly are a wonderful woman I think that it is wonderful that you have memorialized your friend through the cranes. What a beautiful story you have shared x
What an absolutely beautiful story and memory. I absolutely love those crane bracelets!
I think that paper cranes are so beautiful and I have always loved them – I never knew about the book of the girl's story. And to read your personal story too – very touching. Now they have even more meaning to me.
I've never made one, but my kids had a teacher that showed them how to make a few things (cranes and a frog, I think). I should buy them some paper and let me keep creating. The results are so impressive.
This is a lovely post. Thank you for sharing your story. I have always been drawn to the art of origami. Such a beautiful artform.
I am sorry for your loss. What a beautiful way to pay tribute to the memory of your friend though, and what a lovely reminder to have of her in your everyday life 🙂
Going to share this with my daughter. We got some paper cranes at a hospice a few years ago and she loved them. Sorry for your loss.
These are adorable!! I'm gonna have to give them a try so my littles can play with them! Thanks!
This looks fun! I'll have to try it out.
What a touching story! I love the tutorial, now I want to try and make some! Thanks for the craft inspiration :]
I have made so many of these! The paper you're using is pretty!
I love making paper cranes, my daughter went off to uni with envelopes full to put in her window, I have them at work too.
Here in Coventry UK we are twinned with Heroshima and have a statue of peace & reconciliation in our cathedral , they have a matching one in Heroshima. Every summer when Japanese tourists visit the statue gets covered in paper cranes, it's really beautiful & very touching.
This is cool! My son can't wait to try it. Thank you for sharing your know how with us at the Brag About It Link Party!