Make An Origami Paper Crane "Orizuru"

Orizuru basically means folded crane. Origami is a Japanese craft of folding paper. The crane is a well known origami and is relatively simple to make.

Stuff you need: 

A square piece of paper.

A square piece of paper.

Instructions: 

Step 1: Fold the square paper along its diagonals, in half and quarters. You should see fold marks on your piece of paper. 

Fold marks on the square piece of paper shown by the yellow lines. 

Step 2: Chose two opposite quadrants And fold each quadrant along its diagonal. 

Choose to opposite quadrants and fold them each along its diagonal. 

You should end up with something like this. 

The two quadrants folded along its diagonal gets tucked inside the square shaped structure. 

Something like this. 

Step 3: Fold one side of the square along the yellow lines as shown below. Step by step folding is shown below too. 

The yellow lines where you should fold

Fold the long side along the opening end of the square structure. 

Then the next side.

Then the top.

Step 4: Open the folds. and open up the square.Then press down each side. These steps are shown in the images below. 

Open up the folds

Open up the square. 

Press down on each side. 

You should end up with something like this. 

Step 5: Repeat step 4 for the other square. As shown in the images below. 

Fold along the yellow lines. Then open up the fold and open up the square. 

It should look something like this. 

Step 6: Fold each side like a spear structure as shown in the images below.

Fold each side like a spear structure. 

Repeat for the other side. 

Step 7: Fold the neck and tail shape for the crane. To do this you must create a fold mark along the yellow line as shown in the picture below. Then open up that side and fold it inside, tuck it into the body structure. 

Fold along the yellow line. 

Fold along the yellow line like so. 

Open it up and tuck it into the body structure like so. 

Repeat for the tail. 

Step 8: Fold the neck structure like the image below to make the head. Just like with the neck open up the fold and tuck it into the neck structure.

Make fold mark along the neck. 

Tuck it into the neck like so. 

 Step 9: Fold the sides like the image below to make the wings. Repeat for both sides. 

Fold the side down to make the first wing. 

Repeat for the other side. 

Step 10: To make the body into a box like structure slowly push it down using your thump until it looks something like the image below. 

Top view of the crane, the body is a box like structure. 

And you are done!

Finished product 

Now that you have made a crane, why not try making 999 more? The Japanese believe that a 1000 cranes will grant you a wish. Whether it be good luck or good health. Why not give it a try? 

by Gayathri