Paper Crane

This is a step by step explanation on how to make an origami paper crane.

The only materials needed for this project is a piece of paper. Preferably a square piece of origami paper but any paper will work. Scissors, a pencil, and a ruler are optional tools if your starting piece of paper is not already square.

For those who do not have an already square piece of paper: (method A preferred)

A) Take your paper and fold it at a 45 degree angle from one of the corners. This will leave you with an extra tab at the bottom that you can then cut off using scissors.

B) Another alternative is to simply measure the width of the paper and mark with your pencil and ruler that exact distance on the length edge and cut the remaining piece as mentioned in method A.

Once the paper is squared we will create some reference lines that will be used in the following steps.

1. Start by folding the paper from one corner to the opposite corner to create a diagonal fold in the middle of the paper. This is represented by the triangle shape in the photo.
2. Unfold Completely.
3. Repeat this same fold using the other two corners. You should be left with an X pattern from corner to corner.
4. Unfold completely.
5. We will now fold the paper directly in half both horizontally and then vertically, unfolding completely after each crease is made.

The finished product up to this point should look like the photo in the following step.

1. Take the square paper and position it as in the referenced photo.
2. Take both corners on either side of the paper and meet them in the middle
3. Guide them to lay flat over top of the bottom corner.
4. Finish the fold by bringing the top corner down and creasing it.

All corners should now be laying flat stacked on top of the bottom corner as shown in the final photo.

1. Take one half of the newly created square and fold it so the corner now meets in the middle following the middle line as shown in the reference photo.
2. Repeat this step for the other half.
3. Flip paper over and repeat steps 1 and 2 on the other side as well.

You should be left with a diamond shape

1. The tab at the top of the diamond shape should be folded down as shown in the photo.
2. Return that tab to the starting position and flip the paper to repeat that same fold going the other direction.
3. Finish this step by unfolding the paper so it looks like the second reference photo.

1. Take the top layer of the square shape and lift it to have the inner sides meet at the middle as shown in the photo.
2. Flip the paper and repeat this step on the other side.
3. Both sides should now be opened and we are left with a new diamond shape.

1. Take one of the halves and bring it the the mid line of the newly formed diamond shape. This should be a similar fold to step 4.
2. Repeat this fold on the other half of the diamond.
3. Flip the paper and repeat steps 1 and 2.

We should now have a shape like the one in the second photo.

We will now open the sides of the diamond and crease them in this new opened direction to create a diamond like in the photo.

1. Bring the point at the bottom of the diamond shape and fold it upwards creasing at the straight line seen just above my finger in the photo from the previous step.
2. Repeat this step on the other side of the paper.

The final product should look like the reference photo.

1. Similar to step 8, we will open the sides of the paper and fold along the midline to expose the wings of the bird
2. Fold the top point down until it is able to crease cleanly as shown in the photo
3. Flip the paper over and repeat steps 1 and 2.

1. We should be left with two skinny points at the front and rear of the bird. These are the neck and tail pieces of the bird.
2. These neck and tail pieces can be pulled outward and re creased to give them more angle as seen in the reference photo.
3. Finish the crane by folding the tip of the neck piece down to create a head for the bird.

You should be left with the finished product of a paper crane!