How to make a nesting origami crane
Nesting Origami Crane: try all 30 steps in the 3D player. Turn and replay every move. Print the complete diagram sheet or save it as PDF.
An Origami Tutor crane inspired by nesting-crane ornaments, with a long neck, bent beak, upright rear wing and a broad pleated front wing.
- You need
- One square of thin origami paper. No glue or scissors.
- Start
- Start colored side up, with one corner pointing up. Thin origami paper makes the folds sharp.
- Tips
- Keep the creases crisp when narrowing the points.
- Leave the rear wing upright to show the contrast with the front fan.
Your model is ready
The nesting crane is folded. Press it flat, then ease the front fan open into a broad pleated wing. Raise the back wing upright behind it.
Step-by-step diagrams
Steps 1–7
- 1
Crease a diagonal
Bring the top corner down to the bottom corner, press, and open.
- 2
Crease the other diagonal
Bring the left corner to the right corner, press, and open.
- 3
Turn over
Turn the paper over, keeping a corner pointing up.
- 4
Crease edge to edge
Fold the bottom-left edge up to the top-right edge, press, and open.
- 5
Crease the other way
Fold the bottom-right edge up to the top-left edge, press, and open.
- 6
Turn back
Turn the paper back over, keeping a corner pointing up.
- 7
Collapse into a square
Hold the bottom corner. Push the left and right corners in and down so the paper collapses along the creases into a small square, open end at the bottom.
Steps 8–14
- 8
Crease the left kite
Fold the lower left edge of the top flap to the center line, press, and open.
- 9
Crease the right kite
Fold the lower right edge of the top flap to the center line, press, and open.
- 10
Crease across the top
Fold the top down along the line joining the tops of the two kite creases, press, and open.
- 11
Petal fold
Lift the bottom corner of the top layer up along the crease across the top. The sides fold in along the kite creases and meet in the middle. Press flat.
- 12
Turn over
Turn the model over, keeping the open end at the bottom.
- 13
Crease the left kite
Fold the lower left edge of the top flap to the center line, press, and open.
- 14
Crease the right kite
Fold the lower right edge of the top flap to the center line, press, and open.
Steps 15–21
- 15
Crease across the top
Fold the top down along the line joining the tops of the two kite creases, press, and open.
- 16
Petal fold
Lift the bottom corner of the top layer up along the crease across the top. The sides fold in along the kite creases and meet in the middle. Press flat.
- 17
Narrow the left side (front)
Fold the lower left edge of the front layers to the center line. The fold reaches up into the flap above.
- 18
Narrow the right side (front)
Fold the lower right edge to the center line the same way.
- 19
Turn over
Turn the model over, keeping the split points at the bottom.
- 20
Narrow the left side (back)
Fold the lower left edge of the front layers to the center line. The fold reaches up into the flap above.
- 21
Narrow the right side (back)
Fold the lower right edge to the center line the same way.
Steps 22–28
- 22
Raise the neck
Inside reverse fold the left point: open the body's front and back layers a little from below, push the point up between them along the line, and press flat. The neck now comes out from between the front and back of the body, under the wings.
- 23
Raise the tail
Inside reverse fold the right point: open the body's front and back layers a little from below, push the point up between them along the line, and press flat. The tail now comes out from between the front and back of the body, under the wings.
- 24
Make the head
Inside reverse fold the tip of the neck: open the neck's layers a little at the tip, push the tip down and forward between them along the line, a short way below the point, and press flat.
- 25
Fold a wing down
Fold the front wing down along the line across the top of the body.
- 26
Turn over
Turn the crane over.
- 27
Fold the other wing down
Fold the second wing down the same way.
- 28
Turn back
Turn the crane back so the head faces left.
Steps 29–30
- 29
Start the fan pleat
Fold the front wing across the slanting line from its left shoulder. Keep the back wing and body still.
- 30
Return the fan edge
Fold the exposed point back across the level line from the same shoulder. The two folds form a three-panel pleat.
- ✓
Finish
The nesting crane is folded. Press it flat, then ease the front fan open into a broad pleated wing. Raise the back wing upright behind it.
Fold next
Crane ↗
The crane begins with a square base. Two petal folds turn it into a bird base with separate points for the neck and tail; the broad flaps become the wings. Work through one side of the body before repeating the narrowing folds on the back.
Swan ↗
The traditional kite-base swan, with a pointed tail, a long neck and a small head.
Pig ↗
The traditional kindergarten pig, recorded in 1863. It stands on four pointed feet, with a raised tail and a short snout.
Japanese rabbit ↗
The cupboard-base Japanese rabbit recorded in 1935, with long ears and a small turned-up tail. Fold its broad head, narrow ears, body and reversed tail.