What age is this origami Flying Crane for?

About Age 7+. It is rated “Medium” (level 3 of 5), with 18 steps, and takes about 18 minutes.

What paper do I need?

One sheet of square origami paper (15 cm / 6 in). No scissors or glue are needed.

What is it called in Japanese?

In Japanese it is “まう鶴” (舞う鶴). The word origami (折り紙) itself means “folding paper”: ori = fold, kami = paper.

Can I print the instructions?

Yes. “Print the diagram” puts every step on one page (or a PDF), and the practice sheet has the crease lines printed on the paper. Free for home and classroom use.

★★★Medium Birds & BugsTraditional

How to make an origami Flying Craneまう鶴Flying Crane

A crane flying with its neck stretched out and its wings up and down. It starts from the same bird base as the paper crane.

★★Easy Crane (Easy)★★★Crane (Medium)★★★Flapping Bird (Medium)★★★Standing Crane (Medium)★★★Jumbo Newspaper Crane (Medium)★★★Crane Chopstick Rest (Medium)★★★Crane and Turtle (Medium)★★★★Crane with Spread Wings (Challenge)★★★★Dancing Crane (Challenge)★★★★Nesting Crane with Chick (Challenge)★★★★★Linked Cranes "Imoseyama" (Master)★★★★★Ring of Four Linked Cranes (Master)★★★★★Crane Family (Five Linked Cranes) (Master)

18 steps
about 18 min
1 sheet of origami paper
Age 7+

How to fold

三角に折る
Fold in half to make a triangle.
さらに半分の三角に折る
Fold in half again.
袋を開いて、四角につぶす
Open the pocket and squash it into a square.
うらがえす
Turn it over.
こちらも袋を開いて、四角につぶす（正方基本形）
Squash this side into a square, too. This is the preliminary base.
下のふちを、まん中の線に合わせて折りすじをつける
Fold the lower edges to the center line and unfold.
上の三角を折って、折りすじをつける
Fold the top down and unfold.
1まいめを下から持ち上げて、ふちを折りすじで内側へ（花弁折り）
Lift the bottom corner of the top layer and fold the sides in along the creases (petal fold).
うらがえす
Turn it over.
こちらも、下のふちをまん中に合わせて折りすじをつける
Fold the lower edges to the center line and unfold.
こちらも花弁折り（鶴の基本形）
Petal fold this side, too. This is the bird base.
下のふちを、まん中の線に合わせて折る
Fold the lower edges to the center line.
うらがえす
Turn it over.
こちらも同じように折る
Do the same on this side.
左の足を、中わり折りで横へ（首になる）
Inside reverse fold the left point out to the side to make the neck.
右の足も、中わり折りで横へ（しっぽになる）
Inside reverse fold the right point out to the side to make the tail.
首の先を中わり折りして、頭をつくる
Inside reverse fold the tip of the neck to make the head.
手前の羽を、下へ折る
Fold the front wing down.
うしろの羽は上に立てたままにします。
できあがり！羽の形をととのえたら、まう鶴のできあがり！糸でつるすと、空を飛んでいるように見えます。
Finished! Shape the wings, and your flying crane is finished! Hang it from a string, and it looks like it is flying.

Fun fact

タンチョウは、つばさを広げると2メートル以上にもなる大きな鶴です。

The red-crowned crane is a large bird. Its open wings can be more than 2 meters wide.

Origami English in this model

❓ FAQ

What age is this origami Flying Crane for?: About Age 7+. It is rated “Medium” (level 3 of 5), with 18 steps, and takes about 18 minutes.
What paper do I need?: One sheet of square origami paper (15 cm / 6 in). No scissors or glue are needed.
What is it called in Japanese?: In Japanese it is “まう鶴” (舞う鶴). The word origami (折り紙) itself means “folding paper”: ori = fold, kami = paper.
Can I print the instructions?: Yes. “Print the diagram” puts every step on one page (or a PDF), and the practice sheet has the crease lines printed on the paper. Free for home and classroom use.