Origami Cranes by the Thousands

 
origami cranes
 
The origami cranes we are using for decoration at our school auction this Saturday are complete. I am now stringing the very last sets. Looking at all these cranes make me so happy, due in part to the fact that this little task, folding cranes, has been embraced by so many in our school’s community. I may have already mentioned before that Ian’s class folded 1000 cranes as part of their Asia study (those little fingers worked so hard!). We have strung those together and plan to feature them in one place. (The impact is so dramatic to see 1000 grouped together.) The other cranes folded by the school community for decoration, a small amount which is pictured here, will be hung from blossoming branch centerpieces at roughly half of the round dining tables (the other tables will have a different, but complimentary, arrangement). I will be sure to take lots of pictures!
origami cranes
Each child in Ian’s class will get a strand to take home and keep. The rest I may have to steal because I love them so!
origami cranes

23 Comments
  • rachel | buttons magee

    March 8, 2010 at 3:16 pm

    Wow! That really is impressive! I can’t wait to see the pictures of all of them displayed.

  • Jacquie

    March 8, 2010 at 4:13 pm

    Oh wow – beautiful. Origami cranes are my favourite thing.
    – I’m even going to get a tattoo of one soon :o)

  • Erin | house on hill road

    March 8, 2010 at 4:25 pm

    that is so cool! i’m going to remember this for next year.

  • Molly Irwin

    March 8, 2010 at 4:37 pm

    Blair, my nephew is getting married in July, and his fiance has enlisted my help in creating the “great gatsby/garden party” theme. 1,000s of paper cranes are involved. I’m so glad to see this. I’ll have a production line going here soon.

  • Jana @ Weekend Vintage

    March 8, 2010 at 4:45 pm

    These are beautiful. They remind me of “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes”, a book my children read a few years ago while we home schooled. Thanks for the memory…
    Jana

  • blair/wisecraft

    March 8, 2010 at 5:01 pm

    The 2nd grade class read that same book before they began folding cranes. A wonderful story!

  • blair/wisecraft

    March 8, 2010 at 5:02 pm

    that will be absolutely gorgeous Molly!

  • Vintage Chica

    March 8, 2010 at 7:27 pm

    Yes, yes…put them in every little corner of your house Blair! We loved our yodas so much we’ve been folding all sorts of little animals. We haven’t tried the cranes yet…did you say the folding helped with your little man’s handwriting? Ahem…we need a little help in that area.

  • blair/wisecraft

    March 8, 2010 at 7:30 pm

    Yes Eren, folding these cranes are so good for developing those little muscles to help with writing. One of the reasons they started it in Ian's class. A few (like Ian) were frustrated at first, trying to fold these, but with some coaxing they stuck with it and finally got it.

  • Molly

    March 8, 2010 at 8:41 pm

    Those are MAGNIFICENT! I had all but forgotten 1000 cranes… so grateful to have seen them anew. Wow.

  • Sam

    March 8, 2010 at 8:42 pm

    the folded cranes are so fascinating when they’re grouped together. I recently found an artist who had folded 1000 and then installed them as a wave on a gallery wall to represent Hokusai’s wave. what a fun school project for your son!

  • Allison

    March 9, 2010 at 5:27 am

    Gorgeous color and very striking! I’m looking forward to seeing pictures of the event, it sounds amazing. I don’t know that I’d have the patience for this project!

  • greta

    March 9, 2010 at 8:22 am

    OK, I am totally inspired by you. Again. 🙂 I think I am ready to start learning how to fold cranes.
    Thanks for sharing.
    Greta

  • elizabeth

    March 9, 2010 at 1:22 pm

    All these cranes remind me of the Sadako Sasaki statue :
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadako_Sasaki
    I’ve been wanting to visit the one in Seattle but keep forgetting. When we are in the city.

  • sew katie did

    March 10, 2010 at 8:03 am

    That will look awesome! You’ll take a picture right?

  • sew katie did

    March 10, 2010 at 8:04 am

    Forgot to say I love the new header. What is the image from?

  • Rebekka

    March 10, 2010 at 11:46 am

    Those are so cool!

  • Mariah

    March 11, 2010 at 6:33 am

    They are lovely!
    We made a thousand cranes as a part of our study of Japan when I was in fourth grade. I still know how to make a crane—it is like riding a bicycle 🙂 It is a really satisfying experience…

  • Emily

    March 11, 2010 at 7:02 am

    Just breathtaking!
    You are such a great mom!

  • Kay

    March 11, 2010 at 9:24 pm

    hey there you’ve got some really neat stuff!
    maybe you could share it on our website? maybe even sell a few?
    http://boutiqueforums.com

  • theartistshouse

    March 12, 2010 at 7:55 pm

    I had a family member do this for her wedding and it was absolutely gorgeous. Every week leading up to the wedding they folded so many cranes a night and by the time the wedding day arrived they had 1000. It was neat, I remember sitting and folding, a few of us in a circle. Like sewing with your hands it was very peaceful.

  • UK lass in US

    March 14, 2010 at 10:12 am

    When my sister-in-law had brain surgery a Japanese family friend folded 1000 paper cranes for her. I can just about fold a decent paper crane, but this lady made these tiny perfect versions, then strung them all together. They were beautiful.
    (and the wish came true – the surgery was successful, although she’s been left disabled)

  • PirateKitty

    March 18, 2010 at 12:29 pm

    Very cool! I also love paper cranes. We learned how to make them in grade 2 as well. Our towns sister city was Ohtaki, Hokkaido in Japan, so every year we would have visitors from there teach us Japanese culture. It was the beginning of my love of Origami.
    Sitting here at my desk with me is a menagerie of animals: cats, turtles, bunnies, a snail, a seal, a frog and even an octopus!

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