The “Oriha-tsuru” features beautiful fan-like wings that spread out horizontally. Because of this wide stance, it is very stable and can be displayed almost anywhere. Above all, its ornate appearance makes it an ideal choice for adding a festive touch to any celebration.

The Meaning Behind the Paper Crane

Folding Instructions

First, fold it in half twice to form a triangle.

Next, unfold the triangle to form a square.

　

Fold both into squares, then crease them and open them up.

　

Open them one by one and rearrange them.

　

Making a fan

Fold up along the dotted line.

　

Once you’ve folded both sides up, fold the flaps in half.

Next, fold it up along the spine.

　

Now, fold the folded wing in half.

Next, fold the entire wing down.

　

Fold along the dotted line and fold up the entire wing.

　

Once you fold it in half here, you’re done folding the wings.

Next, fold the wings on the other side in the same way.

　

Make the neck.

Fold along the dotted line toward the inside.

Then, fold the head in half.

　

Spread out the wings, and you’re done.

Note that this is a view of the folded paper crane from above.

It has formed a beautiful fan shape.

　

In Conclusion

May this Oriha crane bring a touch of Japanese tradition and much happiness to your home. Thank you for joining me in this peaceful craft today.

投稿 Oriha-tsuru: The Elegant Crane with Graceful Horizontal Wings は Japanese paper arts に最初に表示されました。

Let me introduce the “Kotobuki-tsuru,” a stunning member of the origami crane family characterized by its wide, fan-like wings.

When folded with vibrant, colorful paper, it becomes a perfect centerpiece for New Year’s decorations and festive celebrations.

It may look complicated, but don’t worry.

You’ll have fun folding it, especially when you fold it into a fan shape.

Folding Instructions

First, fold the paper into a triangle twice.

Up to this point, the folding method is the same as for a paper crane.

Open the triangle you’ve made, then fold it into a square.

Fold the back side into a square as well.

Make a crease along the dotted line, then open it up.

Here, make a crease on only one side, leaving the other side flat.

Open only one side.

The opened part becomes the crane’s neck.

The unopened back side becomes a fan.

Flip it over.

Fold the fan

Fold the right corner marked with a circle to the left.

Fold along the dotted line, then unfold.

Once you’ve opened it, fold the left corner marked with a circle over to the right.

Then, fold the opposite side in the same way.

As shown by the dotted lines, fold along the center and crease both sides.

First, let’s smooth out the fold on the left.

Open the crease and fold it.

Then, fold it in half.

Next, fold the right pleat in the same way.

Then fold the remaining two pleats.

You’ll fold it a total of four times.

Keep flipping until the red side appears, then fold it up.

yurari

If I accidentally forgot to fold it up, the fan wouldn’t open properly.

Folding paper cranes

Fold it in half.

Next, fold the neck of the crane.

Fold the corners around the circle.

Here is the view from below and the view from above.

Fold it like a fan and make a slit down the middle.

Then, make a slit down the middle to form the beak.

Open the fan, and it’s done.

An Arrangement of “Kotobuki-crane”

For the first arrangement, I folded the three corners backward.

It then looked like a sunrise.

The second one was made by skipping the fine folds.

This one looks a bit like the shuttlecock of a traditional Japanese game.

Third, I used double-sided tape to secure the pleat in the center.

It looks like a gift tag, and I really like it.

Kotobuki-tsuru Chopstick Rest

Watch a video tutorial on how to fold it

In Conclusion

To be honest, this specific crane is the reason I fell in love with origami.
When I first saw it, I was deeply moved—I couldn’t believe that such a beautiful and intricate crane could be created from a single sheet of paper.
It remains one of my most cherished folds.

投稿 Kotobuki-tsuru: The Magnificent Celebration Crane with Fan-like Wings は Japanese paper arts に最初に表示されました。

Let me introduce the Kamon-tsuru, a stunning member of the origami crane family. It’s perfect for adding a touch of elegance to celebrations like New Year’s, birthdays, weddings, or longevity milestones. This ornate crane is sure to brighten the festive mood.

The Kamon-tsuru is actually a beautiful variation of the “Fan Crane” (Ougi-tsuru). It’s a joy to fold, so why not try making one for your next special occasion?

What You’ll Need

You will need origami paper, scissors, wire, and double-sided tape.

If you don’t have any wire on hand, you can also tie it together with string.

Similarly, you can substitute glue for the double-sided tape.

How to Fold a Kamon-Crane

扇鶴を折ってから花紋鶴にしていきます。

First, fold the paper into quarters.
Then fold it in half again.

Check the orientation of the bag and the fold before making the cut.

Open it so that the fold runs horizontally.
Fold the bottom half in half, then fold it in half again, and fold it one more time.

In short, fold it a total of three times.

Unfold it, then fold it into an accordion fold.

Next, fold it in half.

yurari

The key here is to check the orientation.

We’ll make an origami crane using these two overlapping layers.

Fold it into a triangle along the cut line.

Fold it in half again to make a triangle.
Then unfold it to make a square.

It’s difficult to fold the fan from the side with the fan attached, so try turning it over, creasing it, and then unfolding it.

On the other side, open it as if lifting a fan.

Next, we’ll make the neck and tail.
Fold the back side in the same way.

Open the fan part, and you’re done.

あわせて読みたい

Fan Crane: The Elegant Fan Crane for Auspicious Occasions

From here, I’ll turn it into a Kamon crane.

Wrap the wire around the middle of the fan to secure it.
Next, separate the bottom part of the fan into two pieces and cut them apart.

Once you’ve cut them apart, apply double-sided tape to the left, right, and center sides to stick them together, and you’re done.
Of course, you can use glue if you prefer.

A fan-shaped crane facing forward

I unfolded the fan-shaped crane facing forward—which I’d made by chance—and took a closer look.

After folding it accordion-style and then in half, it looks a little different.

With the sideways crane, the cut was on the left side, but this time it’s on the right.

Then, fold down the pouch-like section to form a triangle.

After that, fold it the same way as the sideways crane.

However, I found it a little tricky to fold when making the crane’s neck and tail.

When the crane is facing forward, it looks really dynamic.

Displaying the Kamon Crane

I stuck a toothpick into the Sunrise Crane to make a party pick.
This opens up more ways to display it.

Watch the video to see how to fold it

On Pinterest, we show you how to fold it in a video.

In Conclusion

That concludes our introduction to the “Flower-Patterned Crane,” a member of the origami crane family perfect for celebratory occasions.

Why not add a touch of elegance to your celebrations with this beautiful crane?

yurari

I 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!

投稿 Kamon-Crane: A Festive Floral Crane for Special Celebrations は Japanese paper arts に最初に表示されました。

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.

yurari

This 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.

yurari

Were 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.

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Finally, 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

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.

yurari

I 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!

投稿 Fuku-Crane: The Lucky Crane that Brings Happiness は Japanese paper arts に最初に表示されました。

The Ougi-tsuru is perfect for festive settings like New Year’s or weddings. Although it features a crane gracefully perched on a fan, the entire piece is folded from a single sheet of paper. It may look complex, but it requires only one small cut to complete.

Please give it a try! Even a single Fan Crane has a striking presence that will beautifully decorate any space.

It looks just like a paper crane with a fan attached.
First, fold the fan, then fold the crane.

Now, let’s take a look at how to fold it.

How to Fold Fan Crane

First, fold the paper into quarters.
Then fold it in half again.

Check the orientation of the bag and the fold before making the cut.

Open it so that the fold runs horizontally.
Fold the bottom half in half, then fold it in half again, and fold it one more time.

In short, fold it a total of three times.

Unfold it, then fold it into an accordion fold.

Next, fold it in half.

yurari

The key here is to check the orientation.

We’ll make an origami crane using these two overlapping layers.

Fold it into a triangle along the cut line.

Fold it in half again to make a triangle.
Then unfold it to make a square.

It’s difficult to fold the fan from the side with the fan attached, so try turning it over, creasing it, and then unfolding it.

On the other side, open it as if lifting a fan.

Next, we’ll make the neck and tail.
Fold the back side in the same way.

Open the fan part, and you’re done.

Using masking tape

Also, if you wrap the bottom of the fan with masking tape, it will look even more like a fan.
At that time, I folded about ten fan-cranes using various types of origami paper.
For some reason, only one of them turned out to be a fan-crane facing forward instead of sideways.

Even though I folded them all the same way.

A fan-shaped crane facing forward

I unfolded the fan-shaped crane facing forward—which I’d made by chance—and took a closer look.

After folding it accordion-style and then in half, it looks a little different.

With the sideways crane, the cut was on the left side, but this time it’s on the right.

Then, fold down the pouch-like section to form a triangle.

After that, fold it the same way as the sideways crane.

However, I found it a little tricky to fold when making the crane’s neck and tail.

When the crane is facing forward, it looks really dynamic.

Displaying the Fan Crane

I’ve paired the flower-shaped rice cakes with fan-shaped cranes on a branch.
Even at my age, I still take great care when folding gold origami.

I folded it using a piece of origami paper that’s one-quarter the usual size.
It’s a little tricky to fold, but the small ones are cute.

I folded it out of red origami paper.
Since ancient times, red has been considered a color that wards off evil spirits.
Torii gates are red, too.
It’s true—using red really adds to the festive atmosphere.
Two more ways to fold the fan-shaped crane

One more way to fold a fan crane

Actually, using the same folding method as for the fan crane, you can fold another type of crane.

Watch a video tutorial on how to fold it

On Pinterest, we show you how to fold it in a video.

In Conclusion

That concludes our guide on how to fold the fan crane.
It’s a very distinctive origami design.
Why not try displaying it at celebratory gatherings or during the New Year?

yurari

I 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!

投稿 Fan Crane: The Elegant Fan Crane for Auspicious Occasions は Japanese paper arts に最初に表示されました。