How to Make a Flying Paper Crane

A variation on this classic origami structure allows the bird to flap its wings.

There are two main types of origami cranes. The first, more traditional version is made so that the crane body is slightly puffed in the middle, and the paper craft has a nice three-dimensional look that is good for display. The second version is a bit more interactive. Changing a few steps in the folding process leads to a different body shape that allows for the tail to be pulled and the wings to flap to look as though the crane is flying.

Things You'll Need

• Square piece of paper

Instructions

1. Make a square base fold. Fold a square piece of paper diagonally into a triangle; then crease and unfold. Repeat, folding perpendicularly to the original fold to make another triangle; then crease and unfold. Turn paper over. Fold the bottom side up to the top, making a rectangle; then crease and unfold. Rotate paper 90 degrees and fold another rectangle. Crease and remain folded. Hold the top corners in each hand, and then bring hands together and put in the left hand; then crease along sides. You have a diamond shape that can open at the top. Turn upside-down to face the open side downward.

2. Open the top flap of paper and fold in each side as you lift and squash down the sides to make two tall triangles. Turn over the paper and repeat on the other side.

3. Fold the top layer of two tall triangles in toward each other. Turn and repeat on the other side.

4. Turn the paper 90 degrees to the right so you are looking at a shape like a fox's head with two ears pointing straight up and a mouth pointing down.

5. Lift up the top layer of the fox's mouth to meet the tops of the ears. Turn and repeat with the other side.

6. Pull what were the two ears slightly out from the center, creasing at the bottom to keep in place.

7. Choose one former ear to be the head and fold the tip down to create a beak. The other is now the tail.

8. Grip the crane with your right hand at the bottom of the neck and with your left hand at the top of the tail. Pull the tail up and out, then push back down, repeatedly, to make the wings flap.

Tips & Warnings

• If the wings are at first too stiff to "fly," fold them down and curve them down slightly. Pull firmly on the tail.

References

• How to Do Origami: How to Make an Origami Crane in Five Minutes

Resources

• Origami Instructions: Square Base Fold