Japanese Crane Centerpiece Idea

We were in Japan earlier this month and spent a night at a country inn in Tamba. We had such a good time wearing kimonos, sleeping on tatami floors, and eating a traditional Japanese BBQ.

But you know me. My brain is always in wedding mode. So when I was heading to our room, I noticed these adorable Japanese crane decorations. The inn used them as window decorations, but I just loved the idea of using them as wedding centerpieces. I didn't make these (obviously), but I did put together the DIY below so you could make these Japanese crane centerpiece for your wedding.

Japanese Crane Centerpiece Idea

What You'll Need:

• Bamboo Stakes
• Pine cone (small, about 2.5 inches in length)
• White paint
• Black paint
• Red paint
• Decorative crafting wood base
• Krazy glue
• Scissors or X-Acto knife

What You'll Do:

Prepare the pine cone for crafting (we have a post about that here). Paint the front of the pine cone white. Let it dry completely. Paint the tip of the pine cone black. Let it dry completely.

Cut two 2.5 inch pieces from a bamboo stake (try and match the size of the pine cone, more or less). These will be the legs. Paint the middle inch white. Let it dry. Paint the top half inch black. Let it dry.

Cut one 2 inch piece from a bamboo stake. This will be the head and neck. Paint it completely white. Let it dry. Paint the front of it black, the top of it red, and paint black eyes on it. Crazy glue a sliver of the bamboo stake on it to make the beak.

When everything is completely dry, glue the legs onto the bottom of the pine cone. Glue the head on. Then, glue the entire Japanese crane to the wood base. You can jazz it up and paint a flower on it (like the example above) or a table number (like the example below).

This crane had wings attached, made of wood of some sort that was painted and glued on.

I absolutely loved these little decorations. These Japanese cranes would be perfect for your wedding decor. Plus, cranes represent good fortune and longevity to the Japanese, which is the perfect sentiment for your wedding.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What do you think of this Japanese crane centerpiece idea?