Thousand Crane-athon

via green wedding shoes

I absolutely adore the beautiful Japanese thousand paper cranes tradition- where folding one thousand paper cranes is believed  to make your wish come true. These are often given as gifts to marrying couples to bring them 1000 years of happiness and prosperity. There is also the sad, but beautiful story of  Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes- a young Japanese who girl suffers Leukemia as a result of radiation from the Hiroshima bombing folds paper cranes in the hope that when she gets to one thousand she will be granted her one wish, to live. She becomes too weak finish her cranes, but her family and friends finish for her and she is buried with them, she also goes on become a global symbol for peace.

The other day I got to see some in real in real life and wow they look so stunning. I knew when I saw them that of all my planned DIY projects, this was number one. I love that it is something we will keep forever, that it has a lifespan well beyond the wedding day and I really love that it can be made entirely from recycled materials. The cranes can be made easily by anyone, without the use of tools or complicated materials.

The goal is to string them up into a chandelier that will be the centerpiece of the marquee. I'm going to use three circular pieces of wire in graduating sizes and wrap them in fabric scraps, then hang the strings of birds from them. Can you picture it?

Later it will hang in the entrance to our newly built strawbale house :)

Okay better get to work. If anyone wants to make some cranes to add to the collection, please do! You could even write a little message on the inside before you fold... a little blessing. You will need to start with a 6 inch square piece of paper. Please only use recycled paper, or paper you already have lying around. You could use old book pages, old wrapping paper, magazines etc.

And here is a link to instructions if you need them.

Fold fold fold fold fold fold.....