The Origami Forum

Senbazurus are a big time commitment, but after experiencing a relative receive one, it was more than worth it!

Have you (individually or in a group) made a senbazuru for someone? If so, what is your story about it?

I have made one for a family member who learned he had a rare cancer (but he was on a curative regimen, so his follow up tests have been thankfully clear - Yay! - the cranes' magic must have worked??) and for another family member for his 90th birthday (what else can one get a 90-year-old that would carry as much meaning?). I am now working on one for a friend of the family's wedding, and another for a different and older friend who is taking care of a spouse with Alzheimer's, which is taking its toll on his health too. I also made 100 cranes as a contribution to a senbazuru people around the U.S. sent to Japan in the 1990s as an apology when there was an unfortunate incident between a U.S. citizen and a local. I was living in Japan at the time, so folding and sending cranes back to the U.S. to be sent back to Japan strung into the senbazuru seemed a little unusual (but necessary to the occasion) at the time.

For my relative who received a senbazuru made by distant family members, it seemed as if all kinds of good energy rushed out of the box at the moment the box was opened. There was a really neat feeling in the room after that. Plus, a folding relative who was an engineer made a different kind of crane as his contribution -- a construction crane! That caused a lot of laughs!

What are your stories?

Pamela

I entertained the thought of making one for my big sister, but she isn't getting better and she might be done before it is. She gets a kusudama instead, which I can put together way faster and still has sympathetic magic.

construction crane, lol, I like that.

I've recently started folding lots of cranes for one I hope to have ready as a birthday gift when my youngest is born in a few months. I'm starting to think the finished product is going to be a tad too large and may go with a smaller size crane. I've been using ~6 inch squares, i'm thinking going with ~3" instead. I'm even tempted to go half that size just for kicks. I rather enjoy folding tiny cranes.

The kusudama as an alternative to the senbazuru is a great idea! It's also neat to fold 1000 cranes for a newborn -- the first I've heard of such a thing - what a celebration!

I have combined the idea of a kusudama with a senbazuru hanging from it -- I know, a bit overkill on the good wishes -- but it does look pretty neat when completed!

Pamela

I have three sets hanging on the walls in my bedroom. I haven't given them away cause I'm a little attached and am scared of giving them to someone who won't love them as much as I do. But when that special occasion arises I'm more than prepared.