How to Make a Paper Crane With Flapping Wings

Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding. The word "origami" means to fold (oru) paper (kami). There are many constructions that can be made by folding paper, including flowers and animals. This paper crane is one of the more complicated origami constructions. When you are finished, if you have folded it correctly, you will be able to pull the crane's tail to make its wings move up and down.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A perfectly square piece of paper

Creasing and Folding

1. The first set of 12 folds is made to form the creases that you will need to create your crane.
   
   Set the paper on a hard flat surface in front of you.
   
   Fold the paper so that the two opposite corners meet to form a triangle. Unfold. Fold the paper so that the other two corners meet. Unfold. You should have two long diagonal creases that cross in the center of the paper. These two creases divide your paper into four triangles.
   
   Then, turn the paper so that one of the four straight edges faces you and pull the right corner of that edge up and to the left so that the edge lines up with one of the diagonal creases, forming a point to your left. Unfold. Then, pull the left corner of the same straight edge up and to the right so that the edge lines up with the next diagonal crease forming a point to your right. Unfold. Repeat that same process with each of the four straight edges of the paper, making a total of eight creases. Unfold.
   
   Now, pull the straight edge up to the straight edge on the opposite side of the paper, folding the paper in half to make a rectangle and a crease across the center of the paper. Unfold. Turn the paper a quarter turn and fold the next straight edge up to the straight edge on the opposite side of the paper, folding the paper in half again to make a second rectangle and another crease across the center of the paper. Unfold. These two creases divide your paper into four smaller squares.

2. Fold the paper so that the two opposite corners meet to form a triangle. Do not unfold. You are beginning to create your paper crane. From this point on you will be almost exclusively using the creases you have already made, not making many new creases.

3. Turn the folded paper so that the longest straight edge of the triangle is facing you. Lay your left hand over the left half of the triangle, holding it to the surface. Then, holding the corner of the triangle on your right with your right hand, lift it up off of the surface, separate the two layers of paper so that it forms an open triangular cone. Focus on the cone. It should have four top edges, two closest to you on the right and left and two farthest away on the right and left. Flatten the open cone so that the front and back edges on the left meet and the front and back edges on the right meet. This turns your cone into two folded flaps on the right and left. Now, fold the left flap down on top of the right flap.
   
   Repeat the process, holding your right hand over the right side of the triangle and folding the left corner of your triangle and folding it into right and left triangular flaps and folding the right flap down on top of the left flap. Your paper should now be in the shape of a square.

4. Turn your paper so that the only closed corner of your square is facing you. You should see five long creases in the paper. In this step you will be dealing with the same top right crease on both layers of the paper. Lay your left hand over the left side of the paper, holding it to the surface. Then, holding the right corner of the paper -- only the top layer -- lift it up and off the surface and push the corner toward the inside of the paper construction, folding it toward the inside, following the crease. Repeat the process with the right corner on the bottom layer of the right side of the paper.
   
   Now, lay your right hand over the right side of the paper and repeat both steps, pushing the left corner of the paper to the inside of the construction, following the top left crease. What you should have when you're finished is a four-sided shape with two, short sides closest to you and two long sides farthest away from you.

5. With the only closed corner facing you, grab the top corner of the top layer -- there should be three layers of the top corner -- and pull the top corner all the way down toward you so that it's flat against the surface. Make a new crease. Turn the paper over and repeat the process with the remaining layer of the top corner. What you should have is a diamond shape with a two-layered corner closest to you and two separate points forming the corner farthest away.

6. Pick up the paper with both hands and turn it sideways, 45 degrees, so that what you see is the edge of the paper. Pull the two layers of the edge closest to you apart and the two layers of the edge farthest away from you apart at the same time and flatten the two right layers together and the two left layers together. What you should see when you finish is a diamond shape with two separate points forming the corner at the bottom of the construction and two layers of a single corner at the top.
   
   Put your paper back down onto the surface. Grab the top layer of the top corner and fold it down on top of the two separate points of the bottom corner. Make a crease. Turn the paper over and repeat the process. You should have a triangle when you finish.

7. Turn the paper so that the only closed edge of the triangle is facing you. Separate the layers of the top corner slightly. You should see the same two points as the center layer of your construction. These two points will form the head and the tail of the crane.
   
   Holding the bottom closed edge of your triangle, pull the right point out and to the right of the triangle to a 45-degree angle and make a crease at the bottom of the construction to hold it in place. Repeat the process for the left point. Choose one point for the head of the crane. Holding that point near its tip, slightly separate the two layers and push the closed edge down and inside the point to form the triangular head of the crane.
   
   Holding the bottom of the neck of the crane, the fold below the head, separate the wings of the bird slightly, bending them downward without creasing. Still holding the fold at the bottom of the neck of the crane, gently pull the crane's tail up and to the right until the wings move down. Letting go of the pressure on the tail should move the wings back up.
   
   You have made an Origami paper crane that flaps its wings when you pull its tail!

Tips & Warnings

• The more carefully you make your original creases, the better your crane will look. Make sure your edges line up exactly, ending in sharp, exact points for a perfect crane. Don't give up. Keep trying. This is one of the more complicated pieces of origami art. Practice makes perfect.