Senbazuru : 1000 Paper Cranes

by Lendss

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Intro: Senbazuru : 1000 Paper Cranes

Thousand Origami Cranes (千羽鶴 Senbazuru?) is a group of one thousand origami paper cranes (折鶴 orizuru?) held together by strings. An ancient Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane. Some stories believe you are granted eternal good luck, instead of just one wish, such as long life or recovery from illness or injury. This makes them popular gifts for special friends and family. The crane in Japan is one of the mystical or holy creatures (others include the dragon and the tortoise) and is said to live for a thousand years: That is why 1000 cranes are made, one for each year. In some stories it is believed that the 1000 cranes must be completed within one year and they must all be made by the person who is to make the wish at the end. Cranes that are made by that person and given away to another aren't included: All cranes must be kept by the person wishing at the end.

STEP 1: Folding a Crane

You can find severial tutorial about folding paper cranes. Everyone can do that, but to make a senbazuru you'll need a lot of PATIENCE

STEP 2: Tie Cranes

After you made 1000 cranes you have to tie them together. Traditional legends says to make 25 rows of 40 cranes each one. I used a string to sew curtains with a needle to guide it trough the paper and coloured beads at the end of the string to prevent cranes from sliding away, but you can use your imagination to do that.

STEP 3: Hanging

After I made the rows, on the other side of each string ( the top ) , I tied an iron ring and to hang them on a large iron circle used to hang and dry clothes. And now you're done!

28 Comments

vmangual1 9 years ago

I will be making one of these to hang in my unborn sons room.

WUVIE 3 years ago

Hello Vmangual1, just checking in, six years later. Please tell us you made one. :-)

dixieee 8 years ago

wow seems cool, it reminds me of The Thousand Paper Cranes!

Seanwood 9 years ago

nice colour combination

sursula 9 years ago

very nice! i could imagine that it would look great if you would put a light source in the middle and it became some kind of lamp that threw the shadows of a thousand cranes onto the walls...

WUVIE 9 years ago

Impressive! This has been on my bucket list for some time, but I may just have to admire yours. :-)

Mielameri 9 years ago

Wow, the final effect is so pretty. For what did you wish ;)?

djspanda817 9 years ago

Wow! That must've taken like, FOREVER!!! #longtime

mathesen1097 9 years ago

We did this in one of my classes a year ago but we ended up with about 1250 cranes. But the next year she hung them up on multiple strings and hung them from the ceiling

Lendss 9 years ago

I just bought some coloured post-it without glue
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