Fold 1,000 origami paper cranes, says an ancient Japanese legend, and the gods will grant your wish. A young girl named Sadako, suffering wounds from the bombing of Hiroshima, made the legend world-famous, and today the paper crane is a symbol of peace and goodwill everywhere.
If you’d like to try your hand at the art of origami crane folding, this tutorial is a place to start. Most art supply or paper craft stores sell special origami paper, but little of it is recycled – so why not recycle colorful magazines and catalogs instead?
Gift wrap also works well – try recycled hemp gift wrap from PapOrganics. Origami is a great craft for kids, and even standard rectangular recycled copy paper works with simple origami designs like these, found via CraftingAGreenWorld.
Image: jippolito