Ask almost anyone what their first piece of origami was and the answer is usually a paper airplane. It is the model a parent or a friend folds for you in about thirty seconds, the one that turns a boring sheet of printer paper into something you can actually throw. Even after years of folding cranes and boxes, there is still a small thrill in sending a dart across the room and watching it glide.

This version is the short, classic dart — ten steps, no cutting, no tape, nothing but one sheet of A4 or letter paper. The photos walk you through every crease, and the only real secret is to keep your folds symmetrical: a plane with uneven wings will curve off to one side every single time. It is the perfect project to fold with kids, and once you have the basic shape down, you can start experimenting with wingtips and nose weight to see whose plane flies the farthest.

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STEP 2.

STEP 3.

STEP 4.

STEP 5.

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STEP 7.

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STEP 10.