A Thousand Cranes

I have heard many legends, but among my favorites is that of the origami crane. Fold a single crane from paper; it is a sign of peace. Fold a thousand and it is said that a wish will be granted to the creator. As legend has it, these wishes often occur in the form of true love, a long life, prosperity, recovery from illness, or one thousand years of happiness. The effort put forth can be tedious, but well worth it. Today, I would like to share the art of origami with others, so that these cherished gifts, full of meaning can be passed along to others. I would like to explain step-by-step what has to be done, as well as, avoided in order to create this piece of art.
First of all, the ultimate success of creating origami lies in the attention to detail; especially in the beginning stages. Before making any creases in the SQUARE piece of paper, make sure that the colored side is facing up; in this case, it is LAVENDER. Next, fold the square in half to form a triangle; opening up the paper, take the opposite two corners and fold another triangle. At this point, when the paper is flat there should be two creases that divide the paper into four, small triangles. Now, turn the paper over so that the white side is facing up. Fold the paper in half so that it becomes RECTANGULAR in shape; then unfold it, and again fold it in the opposite direction; make sure that the creases are well made. These creases should now define eight small triangles when the paper is flat. Still with the white side up and the paper laid out flat, shift the paper so that the square looks like a diamond. Use the creases as a guide, bring the top three corners of the diamond down to form a triangle and firmly flatten the model. In addition, bring the left and right corner of the triangle into the center of the model. This should bring the shape back to a diamond, but smaller in size than it was before and the model should have dimension somewhat like an accordion. It is crucial to remain aware of how defined the creases are in the paper through each step; this can make the process much easier.
In the intermediate stages, patience becomes a virtue, as the construction of the crane becomes more tedious. As the result, of all the folds, the LAVENDER color of the paper is what should be seen. Simultaneously, fold the two outer corners of the top portion of the model into the center; once both flaps have been FIRMLY creased, unfold them. Here, is where things get tricky, taking the top point of the diamond model, fold it inward so that the point precisely meets the center of the model, and then unfold it once again. Keeping in mind the fold that was just made, take the bottom point of the top portion of the model, and BEND it backwards up to the crease that was made; this step should form a pocket of sorts in the model. Immediately fold down the sides of the pocket, so that the model becomes flat again; it should now form an irregular shape with three points. Again, using the creases as a guide, ensure that the model is correct, check to see that the creases form a diamond in the middle, similar to that of a kite and a triangle on both sides. Turn the model over, and repeat the previous four steps; once these steps are complete, the model should look like a diamond once again. Then, fold the left and right flaps, on the top portion of the model, into the center. Rotate the model to the opposite side and repeat this step. The most difficult steps in this process are over; continue to pay close attention to the creases and it should be smooth sailing from here.

In the final stages, through the art of origami, the crane should take its form. Besides the model resembling a kite, it should now have two “legs” so to speak. Before these legs become the tail and neck of the crane, they must first be folded up, angled outward, and firmly pressed down to form a defined crease; after folding each leg up, unfold them. Now, fold each leg to the side, slightly tucking it into the body of the crane; use the creases that have just been made as the guide for this step. Each leg should angle upward and have dimension; imagine folding a stiff piece of paper in half, this enables it to stand freely. Next, to form the head of the crane, tuck a tiny portion of one of the ERECT legs inward, similar to how the leg was tucked into the body of the crane, and fold down. Finally, at the WIDEST part of the wing, fold it down making the crease DISTINCTIVE. It is best to handle this piece of art with care; it would be a shame for it to become WRINKLED.
In conclusion, time and patience will allow anyone successfully to create an origami crane. These fascinating pieces of art are inexpensive to create and make terrific gifts for any occasion. At first, the process may be frustrating and time consuming, but in the end, it is worth it. There are not many complications that can occur in this process, but those that can take place are easily avoided. Whether creating a single crane or an entire flock, their symbolism and history makes these fragile cranes larger than life.