A friend and I have tried to fold cranes several times with no luck. He recently sent me a video from Youtube that he felt was very helpful. We've gone through various tutorials and instructions. This video has helped me to get closer to an origami crane than I've been able to before. The picture is my first try with the video. I'm hoping my folds will improve with practice. Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9VF3gdf_Hk