When I was learning more about origami last year I came across the idea of Senbazuru - folding 1000 paper cranes. In Japan, the crane is a mystical bird that symbolises longevity, health and good fortune, and it is said that a person that folds a thousand cranes is granted a wish by the Gods.

The legend surrounding Senbazuru is ancient, but the most common story you find now is that of Sadako Sasaki. Sadako was a young girl that survived the Hiroshima bombing in 1945, at just 2 years of age.

She went on to suffer from leukemia, and during her hospital admission before her death at the age of 12, she attempted to complete Senbazuru using whatever paper she had available in the hospital.

There is some dispute as to whether she reached her goal, but either way it is a touching story that continues to have impact 70 years later.

It is a task that requires commitment and perseverance, and when I was reading about it online is usually expected to be done inside of a year for the wish to come true. So towards the end of last year, I decided I would fold my 1000 cranes, starting in January and aiming to complete them by December.

At first it doesn’t sound too bad, fold roughly 3 a day and you’ll make it. But I decided I would be more ambitious, and fold 5 or more each day. At that rate I would be done in 6-7 months, and I’d also have some flexibility should something unexpected come up that stopped me.

And so the unexpected happened - I got asked to help a friend with a side project that took over my evenings for over two months. Not a crane was folded in that time, but I picked it back up afterwards, and I have finally reached the end.

Today, I attached the cranes to some thin, Nylon thread - 25 threads containing 40 cranes apiece, and I’ve hung them up in the dining room window downstairs. They make a fairly attractive blind, and some passersby have been stopping to look at them which has been nice to see.

The wish is immaterial at this point - they seldom come true anyway. It’s been an enjoyable experience, and I’ve listened to a lot of podcasts and music while I was doing it. If I had to guess, it has probably taken in the region of 60-70 hours to complete, but I haven’t been keeping too close and eye on the time involved.

One thing that did become quickly apparent was that I made a mistake using 6 inch paper. I don’t think I realised the space they would take up until I was 200 or so in, at which point it was too late to go back. To give you a sense of scale of the finished product, the window they’re hanging in is 2.5x1.5 metres, and there isn’t a lot of room to spare. It’s essentially a wall of paper cranes at this point.

I’d recommend it to any budding origamist. It was great practise for a lot of the simple folds, and a great mindful exercise that prevented me from staring at a screen.

My problem now is that I have no idea what to do with the finished product. One thing is for sure, with Christmas around the corner keeping them in the house will be a no go. Is it too late to wish for them to be a bit smaller?