Why not decorate your home with a Fuku-crane for the New Year or other celebrations? It’s a simple and wonderful way to bring traditional Japanese charm into your life.
The most distinctive feature of the Fuku-crane is its plump, rounded wings. It is said that these wings are filled with happiness, and that the crane “invites” good fortune into your home.
This crane is perfect for festive occasions, and the unique folding process makes it a delight to create.
How to Fold a Fuku Crane
Let’s get started right away.
First, gather the four corners toward the center like this, and then fold the paper into a crane.
Fold it into a triangle, then unfold it to make a square.
Next, crease it, fold it back into its original shape, and unfold it to form a diamond.
yurariThis is where it differs from a paper crane.
That’s what makes the lucky crane so interesting.
Right now, they’re stacked in two layers.
Gently open them and pull out the overlapping parts.
Gently open it, being careful not to tear this overlapping section.
To do this, pull it out gently.
yurariWere you able to pull it out?
Next, fold along the dotted lines.
Fold along the creases.
Next, pull out the other side in the same way and fold it.
Fold along the dotted line and fold it toward the right.
Next, you’ll fold along the dotted line on the blue section, but you need to be careful.
This is because you’re folding it forward, not backward.
Once you’ve folded the other side, lift it up so that the blue part is visible.
Fold up the neck and tail.
Fold the beak, and you’re done.
yurariFinally, puff out the wings to finish.
Since the wings are pouch-shaped, you can insert your finger to puff them out.
Watch the video for folding instructions
On Pinterest, we show you how to fold it in a video.
Displaying the Lucky Cranes
I tried making this using traditional Japanese-patterned origami paper.
Since the small origami paper is double-layered, it was difficult to shape the head.
But the little lucky crane is cute, isn’t it?
The “Fukutsuru” (Lucky Cranes) motif for married couples is lovely, too.
For example, it would be a wonderful gift to give as a wedding present, with the wish that the couple will be blessed with abundant happiness.
I folded this using origami paper that’s silver on the front and red on the back.
That said, this origami paper is really stiff.
I pulled it out slowly, my heart pounding.
But I’m happy with how it turned out.
Thanks to the stiffness of the paper, the wings puffed out beautifully.
In Conclusion
That was a tutorial on how to fold a cute, plump-winged lucky crane.
To be honest, I struggled quite a bit because I couldn’t figure out how to pull out the inner part.
Now that I’ve learned how to fold the lucky crane, I’m really happy.
yurariI hope you enjoy the process of folding as much as the finished piece.
Don’t worry if it’s not perfect at first—every fold is a step toward your own unique creation.
Happy folding!