Paper crane earrings

grabcad

Origami cranes have been carefully folded out of paper for thousands of years. Today, they appear in different contexts in our world, from room decor to baby mobiles to jewelry. While traditional and elegant, their paper impermanence makes it hard for these objects to serve their purpose long term--they tend to bend and warp with age and especially after contact with water. In Japan, it’s believed that the crane is a creature that lives thousands of years; I felt this was an interesting project to pursue because with the use of 3D printing, these once “temporary” shapes can now be manufactured in a more permanent way. I did my best to translate the lines and folds of the paper crane into a solid shape that might have the appearance of paper, but wouldn’t be able to be unfolded or deconstructed.