Have you ever seen a paper plane that comes back to its owner? The following steps and accompanying video will show how you can make one yourself. The folding isn't easy, but the result is impressive.
Step 1
Fold the paper in half. Give the folded side a nice creased edge by running your finger nail along the fold.
Step 2
Fold the paper in half again, and give the corner a pinch fold.
Step 3
Fold one half of one side of the pinched paper into the middle pinch fold (a quarter of the paper) and give that one-quarter spot another pinch fold.
Note the small pinch fold at the one-quarter mark and the halfway mark.
Step 4
Fold from the one-quarter pinch fold inside to the other corner, making a triangular fold. Crease the edge.
Step 5
Squash-fold the triangle that was just created by lifting the triangle, putting a finger between the paper to make sure it pulls apart, and then press down, making sure the creases line up.
Step 6
Flip the page over and fold the other side of the squash-fold into itself. Crease the edge.
Step 7
Fold the wide end of the paper toward the "pocket" that was created during the squash-fold. Make a crease to set the corner in place.
Leave a small amount of space between the corner and the edge of the paper, then fold the section down and crease it. When you fold, do not fold all the way to the opposite corner. Instead, leave a small amount of space, as seen in the photo.
Step 8
Do the same to the other side.
Step 9
Lift the flap that you've created and, using the squash-fold line that you created earlier as a guideline, fold the front of the flap along the squash-fold line.
If you have an odd-looking mess like this, you're on the right track. Now you should have a section narrow enough to fit into the pocket created by the squash-fold. Fit the section into pocket. It should fit cleanly but snuggly.
Step 10
Fold the top corner of that same side down, using the creases as the angle guidelines.
What you have so far should look similar to this. Now repeat the last two steps for the other side until both sides look the same and line up.
Step 11
Fold the side flap from the back crease to the front crease nearest the pocket. Do the same to the other side.
Step 12
Squash-fold the entire aircraft from the front edge. Open up the top side of the plane and fold it into itself. Make sure the front crease lines up with the crease on the bottom side of the plane.
You'll notice the front of the plane has edges that protrude. Squash them down. Now the back "fins" are still raised and bubbling up. From the inside crease out, give them a sweeping motion and flatten them out.
Step 13
Flip the plane over and bend back the front of the plane, using the corners outside the front point as the guideline.
Step 14
Do a valley-fold of the plane so that the plane is now in half. Crease the edge.
Step 15
Fold just below this line parallel with the main center crease to create the fuselage piece.
The best way is to fold the side down and do it against the table. Do this to both sides.
Step 16
Create winglets by folding small pieces of the loose wing upward.
Step 17
Unfold the plane. It should have a base where you grab it, and the wings should be flat with the winglets perpendicular to the wing.
Step 18
Run your fingers along the front wings of the plane until it has a slight curve. This will help the plane return to you a little better. Now you're done!
