Japanese Origami Crane Grid

Twelve paper cranes sit in three rows, each turned a little differently from its neighbors. Red floral paper shares the arrangement with indigo blossoms, yellow geometric patterns and pale blue waves. Folded wings rise from the surface, casting short shadows that separate the birds from the textured paper underneath. A few folds reveal the plain white reverse of a patterned sheet.

Color gets you only so far with these cranes. A wing can show a broad patch of print, while the same paper becomes a thin strip along a neck or tail. Matching the direction of a fold is useful when two fragments carry similar flowers. Between the birds, shadows taper away from pointed tips, giving the pale background pieces something to follow. The result is a pattern puzzle with twelve small subjects rather than one endlessly repeated motif.