Fabric Japanese Crane Tutorial

There was a desire for a how-to on Azure's Crane Clips so I put together a simple tutorial.  The first crane I made out of red dupioni silk, as I thought it would be elegant.  The only problem was the silk didn't hold the creases very well.  Next I tried it with cotton, which worked really well.  Then I pulled out my Korean ramie:

It has some sort of stiffener in it already that doesn't wash out, which gives it great body for a unique look, like the jacket I made for Pearl last year, but 100% cotton or linen will work really well for this project.

o1  Cut a square slightly larger than a piece of origami paper [which is 6" x 6"].  Spray liberally with starch on both sides.  Iron until dry.  Repeat 2-3 more times.  You want this thing to have a life of it's own.

o2  Be as exact as possible cutting it down to the size of origami paper [6" x 6"].

o3  I used this youtube video to fold the crane.  It was much easier than trying to follow the diagrams from the origami paper package.  The key, however,  is to press each fold with the iron.  Don't slide the iron, or run your fingers along the edges as this could loosen the edge threads, just press the iron straight down, unless you prefer your crane to look disheveled.  Do not spray your crane with starch again, as it will undo the folds you've already made.  

o4  The only glue I used was on the tiny fold of the crane's head.  [I just used hot glue, but you purists can always sew it!]  For the alligator clip I cut a small square on the bias [to keep it from fraying] and glued it to the clip and then glued the clip to the bottom of the crane.

Did you know the crane symbolizes happiness and eternal youth throughout Asia?  I like that.  Now, go, crane away!