How to Assemble a Senbazuru

The senbazuru comes from an ancient Japanese legend that says a wish will be granted to anyone who folds 1000 paper cranes. Today, senbazuru are given as good luck wishes at weddings and births or hung in the home. Often, they will be given to loved ones in the hospital, to wish them a speedy recovery.

Senbazuru have become strong symbols of world peace with the story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who died of leukemia following the bombing of Hiroshima. She was buried with the thousand paper cranes she folded while in the hospital. Today, senbazuru are left on temples with eternal flames for World Peace, along with a prayer for peace.

1. Cut a long length of thread according to your desired strand length.
   
   
2. Thread your sewing or doll-making needle.
   
   
3. Tie a bead (see "Things You'll Need" for other suggestions) at the bottom of the thread. This prevents the cranes from falling off.
   
   
4. Push the needle up through the hole at the bottom of each crane.
   
   
5. Repeat this until you have completed the strand.
   
   
6. Tie a loop at the top of the strand and hang the strand from a hook, nail, chair, or doorknob in order to keep it neat.
   
   
7. After you have completed all of the strands, tie them together at the top to a ring so the entire senbazuru can hang freely.
   
   
8. Finished.
   
   

• Decide how long you want your strands to be before starting. Traditionally, the thousand cranes are divided so that the strands are even. You may want 50 strands of 20 cranes each, or 40 strands of 25 cranes, or even 20 strands of 50 cranes.
• Some people add one extra crane for extra good luck.
• Decide if you want a color scheme: rainbow effect, light to dark, smooth paper or textured paper.
• Instead of a craft ring, you can take a long piece of floral wire and twist it into a circle, rectangle, triangle, or whatever other shape you want to hang your strands from.
• Some libraries pool their resources when a student or teacher is in the hospital, with each member of the school folding one or two cranes and then taking the finished senbazuru to the hospital.

• Patience
• 1,000 paper cranes
• Sewing needle or doll making needle (if the cranes are large)
• Thread, dental floss, fishing line, or any similar product.
• Small beads, charms, small rolls of paper, or small sticks to finish the strands.
• A small ring or similar object to enable hanging the completed project.
• Optional: A few friends