Origami for Weddings: Crane Place Cards, Bridesmaid Gifts and Earrings for the Bride

Weddings were never the plan when I started folding earrings, but the questions keep coming, at the stall and by email: can the cranes be place cards, can you make six matching pairs for my bridesmaids, do you have anything in white. The answer to all three is yes. Here is how it works.

Why a crane

In Japan the crane stands for luck and a long life, and because cranes are said to stay with one partner for life, they have been a wedding symbol for a very long time. Folded paper cranes turn up at Japanese weddings in decorations and as gifts for the couple. If you want a wedding with a Japanese touch that goes beyond a few lanterns, a crane is the most honest place to start. I wrote more about the symbolism in the crane article.

Place cards: a crane at every seat

My origami place cards are folded cranes made from Japanese Chiyogami paper, sold in sets of ten. Each set comes with mixed patterns, so every guest gets a slightly different bird. Each crane sits on a small card that carries the guest's name, and after the dinner people take them home, which is more than you can say for most place cards.

There are six sets to choose from, grouped by the kind of pattern: Nature, Flower Pattern, Geometric, Watercolor Galaxy, Mini Crane and Chiyogami. A set of ten costs €10, the Chiyogami set €15. For a wedding with 80 guests that is eight sets, and I'm happy to fold them so the colours fit your tables. Write to me with your colour scheme and the number of guests, and please do it early: folding a few hundred cranes takes time, and I fold them one by one.

Bridesmaid gifts: matching earrings

The easiest version of a bridesmaid gift is a pair of earrings that everyone wears on the day. The Mini Crane (€22), Butterfly (€18) and Fan (€18) are small enough to go with any dress and light enough that nobody notices them after the first minute. There are two ways to do it: the same pattern for everyone, or one colour family with a different design for each person.

Two things to know. I fold about five pairs per pattern, so if you want six or eight identical pairs, tell me before the pattern sells out and I'll set them aside. And every hook is nickel-free; if someone in the group has sensitive ears I can switch to titanium, and if someone has no piercings most designs come as clips. All the current earrings are in the origami earrings collection, the cranes in crane earrings.

For the bride: white, or white and gold

Chiyogami is usually colourful, but some of my designs come in white or white with gold, and those are the ones brides ask for. The clearest options right now:

• Crane & Cabochon in White (€32) – a small folded crane above a round 12 mm cabochon, as a stud. With the 18k gold-plated hook (+€3) it reads as white and gold.
• Sonobe Hoop in White (€32) – a folded geometric module on a hoop. Quiet, modern, works with a veil.
• Triple Sonobe Hoop in White (€32) – three modules on one hoop, for a bride who wants the earring to be seen.

If you'd like a crane or a butterfly in a specific white-and-gold paper, send me a photo of the dress and I'll tell you which patterns I have. Because the earrings are sealed, a tear or two on the day does no harm; a full rain shower is a different story, so keep a spare pair for the photos if the forecast is bad.

Something for the couple, or the guests

If you want a kimono piece for the day itself, the tomesode pieces are a nice fit: a tomesode is the formal black kimono traditionally worn by married women at weddings, with the pattern running along the hem. My palazzo pants are always cut from one, and the pattern sits at the leg. Each piece exists once, so if you see one you like, it won't be there in a month. For a guest outfit, a high collar jacket over a plain dress does the job without competing with the bride.

If you'd rather let someone choose, there is the gift card.

Questions people ask

How far ahead should I order place cards?

Sets from the shop ship in 1–3 business days. For a custom colour selection or more than a few sets, write to me six to eight weeks before the wedding.

Where do the names go?

On the card the crane sits on, not on the crane itself. You write them yourselves: that way the handwriting matches the rest of your stationery, and you can still change the seating plan the night before.

Do you ship outside Germany?

The online shop ships within Germany only. If you're in Austria, you'll find my earrings on 's Fachl shelves, and I'm at ComicCon Vienna in November.

Can the bridesmaids' earrings be returned if they don't like them?

Yes, within 14 days, as long as they're unworn.

If you're planning a wedding and want something folded for it, write to hello@leverras.art with the date and the number of guests. I'll tell you what I can do in the time.

Art you don't hang – art you wear.