★ How to Make Paper Cranes
For the paper, anything similar to the examples will be fine. You can use plain or patterned. Please try to make this type of cranes even if you know how to fold it another way. Practice with some scrap paper if this is your first time. It takes time to be able to get the folds to look good, so don't get frustrated if you see that your folds aren't matching up.
You may use 50 x 50mm (2x2 in) or 75 x 75 mm (3x3 in) paper. An occasional 118 x 118 mm (5x5 in) is okay, but not too many because we're going to send them 11,000 cranes, which will weigh a lot. You can choose to fold cranes for only one member or for all of them. You can also add short messages on them before you fold it, but don't forget to copy those messages onto another paper, or else they won't be placed in the book! And they must be in English, but you can translate them into another language if you'd like it to be written into the book as well.
When mailing the cranes, try to use a bubble mailer not too much bigger than the amount of cranes you'll put in so that it'll fit into the mailbox easily while still protecting your cranes. For even more safety, don't do the last step of pulling the wings out. Keep them flat so it won't get squished.
Make sure you include the messages you've written on another piece of paper. The book will also include a list of participants, so include your name (user/fake/real is your choice) and country as well. Write your email address too, so that when your package is received, you'll be informed and reassured that it all worked out.
Because not everyone signed up when we sent this email, here is some additional information we wrote to clear up any confusion about the cranes:
The Cranes:
- Don't worry too much if you can't achieve your minimum. Just do your best. Try. Try hard.
- If you have a color that doesn't go well into a member's pile, it will automatically go into the group's.
- Cranes with messages will be the first to be separated. If there are too many cranes for one member, the cranes without messages will be placed in the group's pile.
- All cranes will be sent. Every. Single. One. Even if we manage to go over our goal.
The Messages:
- You may write whatever you want as long as it is not offensive. Song lyrics or quotes are fine. UFO-like messages are also okay.
- You may write as many or as little messages as you want.
- Most of them should be around 25-30 words, but you can write a few (up to 8) long ones.
- On the cranes, you can write in whatever language you want.
- Write your messages before you fold the cranes- they will be hidden. That's why we have the book.
- On the separate paper, your message that you wrote on the crane, and any additional ones, MUST be in English. But you can include your translations.
- If your translations are not in Latin letters (like Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Arabic, etc...) please write them on white paper neatly, as they will be scanned into the book instead of typed/written.
- Label which messages are for which member or if it is for the group.
Mailing the Cranes:
- Once again: Do not finish the last step of opening the crane by pulling the wings. Send them flat so they don't get squished when it's mailed. We will do the last step for all of you. Which is why it is important to send it before the deadline. It takes time to pull 11,000 pairs of wings, you know XD
- Keep the cranes with messages separate with those that don't. Put them in a plastic baggie if you can.
- If you want to make things easier for us, you can separate the cranes for each member. Send them all in the same envelope, but use plastic baggies or something similar.
- Send them as soon as possible. And definitely before October 1st (or September 15 if you're not sending it to the USA address).
- Email us when you send it; tell us where you're sending it and the number of cranes you folded.
