The other day, I was wandering around Paperchase and Tiger with a friend and coworker (one of the nicest people I’ve ever met), gathering some supplies for a video shoot. I picked up a package of plain origami paper, and I was reminded that I used to be really into papercraft and origami as a child. “Wow, I haven’t made origami in years,” I said to her. And with that, the package went into my basket. Sometimes, it’s important to rekindle skills and hobbies from long ago.
A few weeks ago, I posted this origami Darth Vader tutorial on the GamerCrafting Facebook page. I intended to give it a try, but it’s pretty advanced for someone who hasn’t folded paper for 15+ years. I decided to go back to the basics, and refresh my memory on how to make a paper crane.
I made one, and then I made another.
And another, and another.
I couldn’t stop making them. It was calm and cathartic, and seemed to help numb the disbelief and hurt of recent events. Crane after crane, I started to remember more about the art of origami and why I loved it so much when I was young. I decided to share my crane with you, to share a little piece of creativity and joy from my very sad, stressful month.
I know that my origami isn’t perfect – there are paper artisans much more gifted and inspired than me in this world, who create beautiful works of art with crisp, even folds. Mine aren’t perfect; I just wanted to share something that gave me a little bit of peace this week.
Start with a piece of square paper. Fold it diagonally, and unfold.
Fold it diagonally the other way, and unfold.
Fold it in half, and unfold.
Fold it in half the other way, and unfold.
Pushing in the sides, make a diamond shape.
Fold in the flaps on either side (this is where my folds can get messy).
Fold in the flaps on the other side.
Unfold the flaps, and open the piece so it looks like a big mouth. You’ll have to coax it into place, but it should look like this:
Do the same on the other side.
One end of the piece will have two little tails: you will now fold it so that the tails are at the top. (I’m bad at explaining this part, the video might help if you get stuck).
Fold in the flaps.
Fold in the flaps on the other side.
Now, fold up both bottom points, fold one to the top and one to the bottom so that you have 4 total points pointing upwards.
Fold down the points on the top and bottom to make the wings, and shape the other two points to create a head and a tail. Voila!
If you need a bit more help (like I usually do), try this video – it’s what helped me remember how to make a paper crane, and the video is short enough to get you making cranes before you know it.
And that’s all there is to it. I hope it brings you some peace too. We’re in for tumultuous times ahead, locally and internationally, and we should do all we can to create mindfulness in a world that can be full of chaos.
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