Butterfly on a leaf (Design by Tomoko Fuse)

This is a pretty design I found in one of Tomoko Fuse’s books – Shells and Spirals 3. It is folded from a single piece of paper, single side colored and depicts a small butterfly siting atop a round leaf.

The size of the paper is 15 cm or 6 inches, square shaped. I think this is the ideal minimum size of paper which you can start folding this model from. Anything smaller will make it difficult and untidy. You can also try folding this model from common wrapping paper or any other paper of your choice as long as it is no stiff or too thick to fold.

One thing you need to be careful about, though, is the direction of the creases you make at the beginning. If the direction changes in your attempt at pre-creasing, it will create problems at the time of collapsing the model at the end. I have also curved the wingtips of the butterfly for added effect, as you can see in the image above.

Swan (Design by Manuel Sirgo)

This is a pretty model, the diagram to which I found on the Internet (freely available). It is designed and diagrammed by Manuel Sirgo in 2003. It requires a bit of shaping in order to give it the ‘feathery’ look.

I used a single side colored foil paper of Aitoh brand which I was lucky enough to find at Michaels (Atlanta area). This was the first time I bought foil paper from Aitoh and I suppose I read somewhere that the quality of their origami paper is pretty good. These papers are imported from Japan and the company specializes in Asian art materials, children’s craft kits and other Japanese paper products.

It comes in paper sizes of 15 cm or 6 inches in size but I found it pretty alright to make a small little swan as a test fold. You would need to start folding with the color side facing upwards (i.e. towards you) in order to get the body of the swan white in color and the beak of a different color.

Diagram of the Swan:

You can find the diagram to this pretty swan on the Internet and it is freely available. This is the link to it – Manuel Sirgo’s Swan diagram

Gorrion Sparrow (Design by Roman Diaz)

This is a diagram I came across in the Origami Tanteidan Convention book 12. This is my favorite Tanteidan convention book so far as it contains all of the models I like and would love to fold. This book contains a mix of simple to complex diagrams and also diagrams to the popular “Brian Chan Rose” and the “Miura-ken Beauty Rose” of Robert Lang. So now you can guess why this has easily become one of my favorite books.

This is the second design of Roman Diaz I am attempting and its a lot more complicated that the Puma Head design of his.

What paper to use:

Ideally one should attempt folding this model with duo paper or double foil paper; each side having a different contrasting shade so as to bring about the color change for the sparrow. You can start folding with a 9 inch square or larger sized square sheet of paper; but you would need to remember that whatever the size of the paper you select to start folding this model, the final model turns out to be in a ratio of 0.24 to 1.

I have used a sheet measuring 9 inches in size; a square sheet of common origami paper. Maybe I will try double tissue foil paper on my next fold of this model.

The most popular design is that of the peace crane, which is the most recognizable symbol in origami. However, there are other variations of this which have been created over the years and look just as pretty and are simple to fold too. The crane is considered a symbol of honor, peace and loyalty in Japan. This is one of the most basic, simple and most popular origami designs of all time.

I have included excerpts of the most requested stories behind the origami crane and I am sure you will like to read them. There is a lot of meaning to why a thousand origami cranes are folded and why a crane is such a symbolic image in Japan.

One of the most popular stories is that of a 1000 cranes… the story of a little girl – Sadako Sasaki, who was a victim of the atomic bomb. This is the story as narrated in Wikipedia:

Sadako Sasaki (佐々木 禎子 Sasaki Sadako?, January 7, 1943 – October 25, 1955) was a Japanese girl who lived near Misasa Bridge in Hiroshima, Japan when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Sadako was only two years old on August 6, 1945 when she became a victim of the atomic bomb.

At the time of the explosion Sadako was at home, about 1 mile from ground zero. By November 1954, chicken pox had developed on her neck and behind her ears. Then in January 1955, purple spots had started to form on her legs. Subsequently, she was diagnosed with leukemia, which her mother referred to as “an atom bomb disease.”[1] She was hospitalized on February 21, 1955 and given, at the most, a year to live.

On August 3, 1955, Chizuko Hamamoto — Sadako’s best friend — came to the hospital to visit and cut a golden piece of paper into a square and folded it into a paper crane. At first Sadako didn’t understand why Chizuko was doing this but then Chizuko retold the story about the paper cranes. Inspired by the crane, she started folding them herself, spurred on by the Japanese saying that one who folded 1,000 cranes was granted a wish. A popular version of the story is that she fell short of her goal of folding 1,000 cranes, having folded only 644 before her death, and that her friends completed the 1,000 and buried them all with her. This comes from the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. An exhibit which appeared in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum stated that by the end of August, 1955, Sadako had achieved her goal and continued to fold more cranes.

Though she had plenty of free time during her days in the hospital to fold the cranes, she lacked paper. She would use medicine wrappings and whatever else she could scrounge up. This included going to other patients’ rooms to ask to use the paper from their get-well presents. Chizuko would bring paper from school for Sadako to use.

During her time in hospital her condition progressively worsened. Around mid-October her left leg became swollen and turned purple. After her family urged her to eat something, Sadako requested tea on rice and remarked “It’s good.” Those were her last words. With her family around her, Sadako died on the morning of October 25, 1955.

After her death, Sadako’s friends and schoolmates published a collection of letters in order to raise funds to build a memorial to her and all of the children who had died from the effects of the atomic bomb. In 1958, a statue of Sadako holding a golden crane was unveiled in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, also called the Genbaku Dome. At the foot of the statue is a plaque that reads, This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world.

There is also a statue of her in the Seattle Peace Park. Sadako has become a leading symbol of the impact of nuclear war. Sadako is also a heroine for many girls in Japan. Her story is told in some Japanese schools on the anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing. Dedicated to her, people all over Japan celebrate August 6 as the annual peace day.

1000 Cranes in popular culture…Wikipedia also has an entry for how 1000 cranes are still popular in the world today and their cultural significance:

Thousand Origami Cranes (千羽鶴 Senbazuru or Zenbazuru?) is a group of one thousand origami paper cranes 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, such as long life or recovery from illness or injury. 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. In Asia, it is commonly said that folding 1000 paper origami cranes makes a person’s wish come true. This makes them popular gifts for special friends and family.

A thousand paper cranes is also traditionally given as a wedding gift by the folder, who is wishing a thousand years of happiness and prosperity upon the couple. It can also be gifted to a new baby for long life and good luck. Hanging a Senbazuru in one’s home is thought to be a powerfully lucky and benevolent charm. It is also used as a matchmaking charm for a Japanese girl when she turns 13 years old. She would make 1000 paper cranes and give it to an admired boy.

Sets of origami paper are sold widely in Japan, with Senbazuru sets including 1000 (or more, in case of mistakes) sheets of paper, string, and beads to place at the end of each string to prevent the cranes slipping off[1]. Commonly the cranes are assembled as 25 strings of 40 cranes each[1]. The size of the origami paper does not matter when assembling a thousand paper cranes, but smaller sheets consequently yield smaller and lighter strings of cranes. The most popular size for Senbazuru cranes is 75 by 75 millimetres (3.0 in × 3.0 in). Some people cut their own squares of paper from anything available, such as magazines.

Origami paper used for Senbazuru is usually of a solid color, though printed designs are also available. Larger size origami paper, usually 6×6 inches, often has traditional Japanese or flower designs, reminiscent of kimono patterns.

The Thousand Origami Cranes has become a symbol of world peace[citation needed] through the story of Sadako Sasaki, a Japanese girl who contracted leukemia as a result of radiation from the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during World War II. Her story is told in the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Several temples, including some in Tokyo and Hiroshima, have eternal flames for World Peace. At these temples, school groups or individuals often donate Senbazuru to add to the prayer for peace. The cranes are left exposed to the elements, slowly dissolving and becoming tattered as the wish is released. In this way they are related to the prayer flags of India and Tibet.

Some Popular Origami Designs…

How to fold a traditional origami crane (Tsuru): Instructional video

How to fold an origami crane box: Instructional video

How to fold an origami Hiroshima crane: Diagram and Image courtesy – Origami Weekly

How to fold a double origami crane (Japanese style)!: Instructional video

How to fold an origami crane (Eric Joisel’s variation): Instructional video and post.

How to fold an origami crane box: Instructional video

Duck (Design by Shiri Daniel)

This is a design I got from Ken Nguyen’s website which has a pretty good collection of origami diagrams. I selected Shiri Daniel’s Duck and even though the instructions for this are not in English, by carefully following the arrows and steps shown in the diagrams, I am sure you too will find it reasonably easy to follow.

It must be mentioned here, however, that it is up to the folder to decide whether to have the duck ’sitting down’ or ’standing up’ at the end of the folding process. Also, if you notice closely, the diagram does not depict the steps in folding the legs of the duck. I have not dwelt upon this either, and have gone ahead and made mine in a ’sitting’ or resting posture.

Paper to use:
Since I wanted a duo colored duck of dark green and light green combination, I pasted a light green sheet of origami paper to a dark green sheet of the same measurement i.e. 9 inches in size. This was originally single side colored and square in shape. This became an issue towards the end though, as the paper became too thick to fold and shape. Hence, I had to improvise towards the end i.e. from step 25 onwards.

A better option would be too either paint a single side colored sheet of paper you might have into the color(s) you want or purchase ready-made duo colored paper.

How to fold the duck:
As mentioned earlier, I found the diagram to Shiri Daniel’s duck and followed the steps in that. The diagrams are clear and one can follow it reasonably well. In case you are stuck at any step in the fold, please view the next couple of diagrams / steps. This will give you an idea as to what your model will look like at the end of those steps.

Have a good weekend!