To make a traditional paper crane, follow these step-by-step instructions using a square piece of paper:
- Start with a square sheet of paper (origami paper is ideal, about 15x15 cm). Place it with the patterned or colored side facing down.
- Fold the paper diagonally corner to corner to form a triangle. Crease well and unfold. Repeat with the other diagonal, creating an "X" crease on the paper
- Fold the paper in half horizontally and vertically , crease well, then unfold. You should now have creases dividing the paper into eight sections
- Collapse the paper into a square base : Push the sides inwards along the creases so the paper folds into a smaller square with an open flap facing you. This is called the preliminary or square base
- Fold the right and left edges of the top layer to the center crease , forming a kite shape. Crease well and unfold. Then fold the top corner down to create a crease, and unfold again
- Open the top flap and perform a petal fold : Lift the bottom corner up, while folding the sides inward along the creases to form a long diamond shape. Flip the paper and repeat on the other side
- Fold the sides of the diamond to the center line on both sides, creating a thinner diamond shape. These will become the crane’s neck and tail
- Fold the bottom flaps upwards on both sides to form the neck and tail. Make a reverse fold at the tip of one flap to form the crane’s head
- Fold down the wings by pulling the top flaps down on both sides. Adjust the wings and body to give your crane a balanced shape
- Final touches : You can gently pull the wings apart and flatten the body to complete your paper crane
This process typically takes about 10-15 minutes for beginners
. Watching a video tutorial can also help visualize the folds clearly
. Your paper crane is now ready, symbolizing peace and good fortune! If you want a visual guide, there are detailed video tutorials available that demonstrate each fold step-by-step
. This summary is based on multiple detailed origami crane folding guides and instructional videos
