Paper Cranes for Peace


So I’m folding origami paper cranes for the Birmingham Art Peace project.  They are collecting them in order to present them in a remembrance ceremony on September 15th, the 50th Anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama.  It is the hope of Birmingham Art Peace to create 10,000 origami cranes as a service and act of reconciliation for past transgressions. It is the wish that this project becomes not simply a passive reminder of the Civil Rights Movement, but that it will transform into active participation of Human Rights.

As someone born in the South, I am both saddened by the past and encouraged for the future.  That’s why I’m folding cranes.

===
How to Fold an Origami Paper Crane
In Japan, paper cranes were traditionally folded as a prayer for health, prosperity, and good fortune.

Start with a perfectly square sheet of paper.

Begin by folding one edge to meet to other

It should look like this.

Open up the paper and lay it flat. Repeat previous step in the other direction, and open up it up again.

Turn it over and fold it diagonally and line it up corner to corner.

It should look like this.

Open up the paper. Repeat previous step in the other direction, and open up the paper again.

Turn it over and push in the center so that it makes a bowl shape.

Bring in the side corners, while bringing the top corner down.

It should now look like this.

With the open side pointing towards the left in this picture, fold one corner of the square so that the edge is lined up with the center line.

So that it looks like this.

Repeat on other side.

Turn over and repeat the step on both sides until it looks like this.

Now turn down the top.

So that it looks like this.

Open it up one side.

Take top leaf and gently fold back along the crease.

Bring in the sides.

It should now look like this.

Flip the paper over and repeat previous two steps on the other side.

With the open end towards the left in the picture, fold in one flap in so that the edge lines up with the center line.

So that it looks like this.

Repeat step for the other side.

Turn the paper over and repeat previous steps so that it looks like this.

Fold over one side.

So that it looks like this.

Fold the bottom flap up up the top flap on the open end, so that it reaches the tip of the others.

It should now look like this.

Repeat step on the opposite side so that it now looks like this.

Fold down one wing.

It should now look like this.

Repeat on opposite side and it should look like this.

Create a little head by invert folding one of the upper tips like this.

Here’s the head.

Pull the tail down a little and press into place.

Fold the wings back up a little.

You’re done!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Aidee Ladnier

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close