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Gruya - 鶴

Gruya - 鶴

Gruya, step by step.

The crane (鶴) is a very important symbol in Japanese culture. It represents peace, longevity, and good luck. In origami, the "oru tsuru" (折鶴), or "paper crane," is one of the most traditional and meaningful figures.

Are you going to need a square piece of paper.

  1. Fold the paper in half top to bottom. Unfold. Fold in half left to right. Unfold. Now you have a grid of crease lines like a “+”
  1. Fold diagonally both ways: Fold the paper corner to corner to make a triangle. Unfold and fold along the other diagonal. Unfold again. You should see an “X” crease pattern. Unfold. Now you have a grid of crease lines like a “X” plus the “+” from before.
  1. Create the bird base: With the square base positioned like a diamond, fold the lower edges into the center crease to form a kite shape on both sides. Fold the top triangle down to make a crease. Unfold these folds. Lift the bottom flap of the front layer and open it upwards, reversing the creases to form a long, thin diamond shape. Flip over and repeat on the other side.

4 . Form the wings and body: Fold the sides of the diamond into the center line again on both sides. Fold the top flaps (the “legs”) upwards—these will become the crane’s neck and tail.

  1. The head & Open de wings: On one of the thin flaps, fold down a small tip to form the crane’s head. For open the wings. Gently pull the wings apart, which will puff out the body a bit. Flatten and shape as you like.