If there is one traditional folding technique par excellence, it is the origami crane ( tsuru in Japanese). In Japan, this majestic bird is a symbol of good fortune and longevity. In this new article, I will teach you how to make an origami crane step by step.

Crane folding is the first technique I learned to make, over 15 years ago now! It was at a small designer show, where I was presenting my work, that a lovely Japanese woman taught me this technique. For over an hour, I made dozens of cranes, without stopping. Today, I could almost do it with my eyes closed!

This folding, although it involves many steps, is actually much easier than it seems! It is a classic of origami. In Japan, it is linked to the tradition of the 1000 cranes (senbazuru in Japanese) which consists of making a garland of 1000 paper birds to offer to a sick person to wish them a speedy recovery. It has also become a symbol of peace and a call to life since the end of the 1950s following the story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who fell ill following the atomic bombing of the city of Hiroshima, whose story I invite you to discover.

THE ORIGAMI CRANE

To make an origami crane, you will need:

• 1 square of origami paper 15x15cm - Our sets of 7 sheets measuring 15cm on each side are specially designed for making origami garlands.
• a set of wire, beads and bells - To make a garland, you will need approximately 3m of wire, 21 beads and 1 bell.
• a pair of scissors
• a sewing needle

This folding can of course be made in several sizes . If you choose:

• 1 square of 7.5cm on each side , you will obtain a crane of approximately 3.3cm in width by 3.8cm in height (flat)
• 1 square of 15cm on each side , you will obtain a crane of approximately 6.6cm in width by 7.6cm in height (flat)
• 1 square of 20cm on each side , you will obtain a crane of approximately 8.3cm in width by 9.5cm in height (flat)

If you want to practice this folding technique, you can use 15cm x 15cm squares of paper from the Japanese brand Toyo . With one side colored and the other white, they are perfect for practicing origami. This is a paper that marks folds well and is ideal for learning origami.

Let’s move on to the folding explanations without further delay!

1. With the white side facing you, mark (fold and unfold) the medians (horizontal and vertical) and the diagonals.
   Then take your square of paper, white side towards you and points placed towards the top and bottom (in a diamond shape). Fold in half....
2. ...to form a triangle.
   Fold down the tip of left (indicated by •) down, ...
3. ...by opening the fold.
4. Flatten to form a square.
5. Turn the fold over.
6. Fold the tip bottom left (indicated by •) on the bottom right tip, ...
7. ... gradually open the fold...
8. ...and flatten to form a square.
   
   
   
   
9. Rotate the fold, opening facing down.
   Fold the right and left sides to the center crease.
10. You get this.
11. Turn the fold over.
12. Fold the right and left sides to the center crease.
13. Fold the top point down, over the fold.
14. Unfold the top flap...
15. ...then the left and right shutters.
16. Grab the bottom tip, ...
17. ...pull it up, opening the fold...
    
    
    
    
18. ...and flatten. You get this.
19. Turn the fold over.
20. Repeat steps 16 to 18 on this side. So grab the bottom point, ...
21. ...pull it up and flatten it.
22. Front side: Fold the small left and right points onto the center crease as indicated by the dotted lines.
23. You get this.
24. Turn the fold over.
25. Back side: Fold the small left and right points onto the center crease as indicated by the dotted lines.
26. You get this.
27. Fold the two "Front" flaps and the two "Back" flaps together...
28. ...like this.
29. You get this.
    
    
    
    
30. Grab the bottom tip and pull it up over the top tip.
31. Flatten.
32. Turn the fold over.
33. Repeat steps 30 and 31 on this side.
34. You get this.
35. Fold the two front flaps and the two back flaps together.
36. ...like this. You get this result.
37. Make a diagonal fold.
38. Unfold.
39. Fold the fold inward. The crane head is formed.
40. The crane is formed.
    
    
    
    
41. Carefully open the wings.
42. The crane is finished!

If you want to familiarize yourself with the origami crane tutorial in video, I let you discover it below:

This fold is taken from my origami book published by Marabout, " Origami as if by magic " which brings together no less than 50 folds. Designed to be as accessible and fun as possible, this book details each fold, classified in order of difficulty, composed of photos and drawings (for the most complex steps). If you want to give it a try, it is available in store and on the e-shop!

I'll be back in the coming weeks with new articles about origami!

See you soon,

Adeline