Crane Metamorphosis


Here's how to make an origami crane. Match your origami to the pictures at each step. If you'd like, email me about your crane-making experience and send a pic of yours! Please let me know if any of the steps are really confusing so I can try to re-word them.
Good Luck!


Step 1: Fold a piece of square piece of paper in half diagonally.

Step 2: Fold in half again, so the paper is now in diagonal quarters.


Step 3: Lift the top triangle and slide your finger in along the center crease to open the triangle up. As you do this, you'll see the square forming.

Step 4: Flatten this square/diamond shape down. The point that was the left corner (upper layer) is now the center bottom of the square or diamond shape.


Step 5: FLIP IT OVER and then lift the other triangle straight UP in the air to the center crease.

Step 6: Slide your finger inside this triangle along the bottom center crease, which will open the triangel into another diamond.


Step 7: Now pull the top point of the diamon down to make another square that lies directly on top of the one beneath it. Flatten it down.

Step 8: Keeping the open points at bottom and the fully closed and connected point at the top, fold the left and right side into the center so they line up along the center crease.


Step 9: Fold down the top triangle above the side creases and then lift it up again to form the crease (not shown). Then open the two side triangles and lift the top layer from the bottom center point all the way up.

Step 10: The fold just made from the top triangle is the horizontal center of the new diamond. Reverse fold (fold them back on themselves) the side creases so they are the new sides of the diamond.


Step 11: Flatten it down neatly.

Step 12: FLIP it over. It should look like this.


Step 13: Repeat (9) - Open the two side triangles and lift the top layer from the bottom center point all the way up and (10) reverse fold the side creases to become another large diamond.

Step 14: Flatten it down. Keep it oriented so the bottom is divided left/right like legs and the top half is divided by top and bottom layer. If you end up turning it around, you can't do Steps 17-19 and you will not have a head/neck and a tail at all!


Step 15: Take the whole left side (leg) and fold it into the center with the bottom point being bisected and the side lining up the center crease. Do the same with the right side.

Step 16: Flip it over and repeat step 15 entirely.


Step 17: Now open and flatten the right side and lift it up as far as it will go. Choose an angle that looks nice. Reversing the fold all along the crease.

Step 18: Flatten it down neatly and adjust the angle it comes out at. Imagine this will be either the head or the tail. If it doesn't reverse neatly all the way to the point, don't flatten the point down yet.


Step 19: Do the same steps (17 and 18) to the other side. Now flatten as neatly as you can the one that is the neatest. This will be the tail. It's easier to finagle the head around than the tail since it has a few more folds to go.

Step 20: Flatten out the tip of the one that is least straight and reverse fold it down about 1/2" - 3/4" or as far as you think looks good.


Step 21: Fold the wings down as far as they will go to form a crease with the top triangle forming the back of the crane.

Step 22: Pick it up and hold it with your thumbs on the top very close to the center, bracing underneath in the same place.


Step 23: Very gently pull the wings out to each side. The back part should spread and open up. If it is thin paper, you can also open it by flipping it upside down and blowing sharply into the hole on in the center bottom (this doesn't work on foil paper). You hold it in the same place except thumbs are on the bottom close to the center.




Step 24: TA DA!!! Admire your masterpiece!