Housewife Eclectic

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Paper Crane Mobile

by 17 Comments

I first started sharing my girls paper crane themed room last summer and then we decided to move. My girls new bedroom didn’t have a closet and the contractor took longer than I ever thought possible. Worst. Contractor. Ever. Finally months later my girls room is finally put back together and I love it even more in this house than I did in our other house. This crane mobile is fairly easy to make and honestly only costs a few dollars.


From my first post: Paper cranes have always been a favorite of mine since I first read Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. It is the story of a young girl in Japan after the atomic bomb. When she is 12 years old she is diagnosed with Leukemia from radiation exposure. Sadako spent her time folding paper cranes inspired by the Japanese legend that one who folds 1,000 paper cranes is granted one wish. She wishes to live. According to her family, Sadako folded 1,300 paper cranes before she passed away. A memorial was erected to her and all of the children who were effected by the atomic bomb. Every year thousands of people leave cranes near her statue.

 

I have always had a secret goal of folding 1,000 cranes in my life. It was a goal that I shared with a childhood friend of mine. We grew up and grew apart and I forgot about the goal, but she didn’t. She wanted to have 1,000 cranes at her wedding but it didn’t end up happening. When she unexpectedly passed away her friends and family came together fold 1,000 paper cranes for her memorial service. A few years ago I sat at her memorial surrounded by the many, many paper cranes that were made in her memory and I felt a powerful connection to them. Even more so than I did when I was a child. They are a beautiful, powerful reminder of the good in the world. My younger daughter shares her middle name with my friend and so when I was designing her nursery, paper cranes seemed like the perfect fit. This mobile is one of my absolute favorite elements in the entire nursery and is really easy to pull together.

You will need:

  • a embroidery hoop
  • origami paper in your color theme
  • baker’s twine
  • washi tape in your color scheme
  • yarn needle

 

Fold 6 paper cranes in your color scheme. You can see my step by step instruction pictures here. How to Fold Paper Cranes.
Thread a yarn needle with a baker’s twine and thread it through the bottom of the crane and push it through to the top. Push carefully so you only make a tiny hole with the needle at the top of the crane. I used various lengths of twine the shortest being, 8 inches and the longest being 20 inches. Pull the twine almost all the way through the crane, tie a small knot at the bottom of the twine. Separate the two part of the embroidery hoop and tie the top of the string around the inner embroidery hoop. Tie the cranes equally spaced around the inner hoop.

 

Wrap the outer hoop in washi tape and then put the hoop back together.

Technically you can use each separate hoop for a mobile if you would like. I like to use both pieces of the hoop for one mobile so I know that the strings are not only tied on the mobile, they are pinched between the two hoops making the chance that any of them will fall off into the crib even that much more unlikely. Tie three piece of baker’s twine 20 inches long equally spaced around both hoops and then tie them together. Hang from a hook in the ceiling.

 

I love how it turned out and the best part is my girls love it too!
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Comments

  2. says

    This is adorable! I love the paper that you chose for your cranes, because it adds such dimension to the mobile. You are SO creative!

    Reply

  3. says

    This post reminds me of when i was a kid. We made 1000 paper cranes when we were in elementary school. I wonder if I remember how… My kids would love to make some files their room.

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  4. says

    What a tragic story, both of the Japanese girl and your friend who passed away. What an amazing tribute for her family to make 1000 cranes for her memorial and a loving tribute for your daughter. Lovely idea. Now I want 1000 paper cranes too!

    Reply

  5. says

    This is such a cute idea and this would make a great gift for a baby shower. I remember seeing something very similar at PBK and thought it was adorable. Maybe for the next baby shower I can make one.

    Reply

  9. says

    Your story leaves me speechless. That is amazing that everyone could come together and fold 1000 cranes for her. I love the idea of creating this mobile for your daughters nursery.

    Reply

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