Make an Origami Crane Wedding Bouquet

In Japan, the crane is a symbol of long life, prosperity, and good health, all positive auspices to bring to your wedding day. Even if you haven’t tried paper folding in the past, there are numerous sites online that can provide you with written instructions, illustrations, and videos on folding origami cranes. Find the instructional style that works best for you.

Once you know how to make the cranes, you can make your bouquet in approximately five hours (or less if others help you with the folding). Assembling the completed bouquet doesn’t take long and the result is a delicate and unique bouquet that gently sways with your movements.

Craft Materials

If you haven’t done origami in the past, get some inexpensive origami paper from the craft store and practice until you feel comfortable. Origami paper is thinner than photocopy paper and scrapbook paper, so it will fold with sharper creases.

For the bouquet, you will probably have to look at origami paper online, particularly if you want a pack of paper that’s a single solid color. Most packs of origami paper offer an assortment of colors or patterns, so you may need to be flexible. You can also find paper in different sizes, which will add an interesting dimension to the bouquet.

You will also need some chenille stems (aka pipe cleaners), a roll of floral tape, ribbon to wrap around the stems, and a couple of straight pins to anchor the ribbon in place.

Assembling the Wedding Bouquet

Start with 15-to-24 paper cranes.

Bend the top ½” or so of each of the chenille stem into a “T” shape.

Slide the “T” shape into the opening on the belly of each crane. The top of the “T” shape should help keep the crane attached to the end of the chenille stem.

Hold the cranes in a bunch, grasping the chenille stems. Position the cranes at the center of the bouquet so they are at the highest point. The other cranes can be a bit lower, still creating fullness to the bouquet. It isn’t necessary (and probably unlikely) to get the cranes all point in specific directions.

Because the cranes are perched on chenille stems, they will stir with your movements. Hold the bouquet in front of a mirror and jostle the bouquet so you can decide if you need more or fewer cranes. Play around with the positioning.

You may want another set of hands for this step. Wrap floral tape tight around a few of the stems so they won’t move. Then, place a few more stems against the taped stems and wrap more floral tape. Continue attaching a few stems at a time with the floral tape. You don’t want to wrap all of the stems at once because the chenille stems in the center won’t be well anchored to the rest of the bouquet. You don’t want the stems to change position between the time you make the bouquet and when you carry it.