The Origami Crane

Lynda LaninghamRend Lake College

Origami is the ancient Japanese art of paper folding. The purpose of this lesson is to learn to fold the popular Origami crane. First, we will explore its historical, cultural, and social significance.

There is a legend in Japan which says that anyone who folds one thousand Origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane, one of the mystical beasts of Japan.

In Hiroshima, Japan, a young old girl named Sadako Sasaki became ill with Leukemia after exposure to radiation caused by the atomic bomb at the end of World War II. She knew of the legend and hoped the gods would grant her wish to get well. She folded over 1000 paper cranes before she died on October 25, 1955, at the age of twelve.

Sadako was an inspiration to those who knew her. Her friends and classmates published a book of her letters which inspired many more people. Children all over Japan collected money to build a monument to Sadako. In 1958, a statue of Sadako holding a goldencrane was unveiled in Hiroshima Peace Park.

There is also a statue of Sadako in Seattle Peace Park, in the state of Washington. Sadako and the thousand Origami cranes has become a symbol of world peace and the impact of nuclear war.

Origami is thought to have started over a thousand years ago. Since paper was expensive in those days, it could only be used for ceremonies, not for fun and enjoyment. Eventually, origami became a part of everyday Japanese life and has now become a world wide recreational pastime.

Traditional Origami paper is a 150 mm x 150 mm (5.875 in x 5.875 in) square which is colored on one side and white on the other . You can cut your own Origami paper out of colored copy paper. If you cut it 5 ½ in x 5 ½ in, you can get two pieces out of an 8 ½ in x 11 in sheet of paper.

Let's begin!

Step 1: Fold paper in half with white side inside. Crease sharply and unfold.

Step 2: Fold in half the other direction. Crease and unfold.

Step 3: Fold in half along the diagonal into a triangle. Crease and unfold.

Step 4: Turn paper over. Fold in half along the other diagonal with white side out. Crease and unfold.

Step 5: Turn piece colored side out and crease on fold lines as shown. This construct is called the Square Base.

Step 6: Fold in top layer of right-hand corner aligning lower right edge with center line. Crease.

Step 7: Repeat step 6 on left-hand side. Step 8: Fold and crease top corner down as shown.

Step 9: Unfold steps 6, 7, and 8 as shown.

Step 10: Pull bottom corner up as shown, creasing fold lines down in the reverse direction.

Step 11: Turn piece over and repeat steps 6 through 10.

This construct is called the Bird Base.

Step 12: Fold in right-hand corner aligning lower right edge with center line. Crease.

Step 13: Repeat step 12 on left-hand side.

Step 14: Turn piece over and repeat steps 12 and 13. Piece should now look like it has two “legs”.

Step 15: Fold one “leg” up as shown and unfold.

Step 16: Using the fold line from step 15 as a guide, fold the “leg” inside out and up.

Step 17: Repeat steps 15 and 16 on the other side.

Step 18: Fold the tip of one side inside out and down as shown to form the head.

Step 19: Gently pull the wings out and downward to shape as desired. If you wish, you can blow air into the hole on the bottom.

Congratulations,you have just finished folding

your first Origami crane.

You only have 999 more to go.