A paper plane that flies is fun. A paper plane that flies and has a heart on its nose? That’s the kind of thing you fold twice — once for you, once for someone else.

This one is built from a single sheet (square, A4, whatever you have), and the heart appears almost by magic as the folds come together. You only need valley and mountain folds, so take it slow, crease sharply, and then let it rip.

This page is for anyone looking for instructions to fold a heart paper airplane.

This heart paper airplane actually flies, and it carries a heart symbol at the top. In this tutorial I use a square sheet, but you can use any rectangular paper such as Letter or A4 size.

Before you start, you should know what a valley fold and a mountain fold are. If you are comfortable with those two basic moves, you will have no trouble making this paper plane.

If you are ready, then let's get started.

You can use any kind of paper for this plane. It helps a little if the front and back differ slightly — in texture or color. Here I use an origami sheet measuring 18 cm x 18 cm.

This is the front side of the paper. Any non-square paper works well here; I used A4-size origami paper.

This is the back side of the paper.

STEP 1.

Let's start with the paper's back side facing up. Prepare to valley-fold in half horizontally and then unfold.

STEP 2.

Valley-fold in half horizontally and then unfold. Prepare to valley-fold in half vertically and then unfold.

STEP 3.

Valley-fold in half vertically and then unfold. Prepare to apply a vertical “gate-fold” and then unfold.

STEP 4.

Apply the vertical “gate-fold” of the step #3 and then unfold. Prepare to apply a horizontal “mountain-fold” and then unfold.

STEP 5.

Apply the horizontal “mountain-fold” of the step #4 and then unfold. Prepare to apply a horizontal valley-fold.

STEP 6.

Apply the horizontal valley-fold of the step #5. Prepare to apply two valley-folds.

STEP 7.

Apply two valley-folds of the step #6. Prepare to apply a horizontal valley-fold.

STEP 8.

Apply the horizontal valley-fold of the step #7. Prepare to apply a vertical “gate-fold”.

STEP 9.

Apply the vertical “gate-fold” of the step #8. Prepare to apply two vertical valley-folds.

STEP 10.

Apply two vertical valley-folds of the step #9. Prepare to unfold two valley-folds that you have just applied.

STEP 11.

Unfold two valley-folds of the step #10. Prepare to apply two valley-folds.

STEP 12.

Apply two valley-folds of the step #11. Prepare to open the paper.

STEP 13.

Open the paper. Prepare to turn the paper over.

STEP 14.

Turn the paper over. Prepare to apply the crease pattern (CP) shown on the left.

STEP 15.

Start applying the CP of the step #14. Prepare to rotate the paper airplane model by 90 degrees.

STEP 16.

Rotate the paper airplane model by 90 degrees. Prepare to compress the model by following the arrow directions.

STEP 17.

Compress the model by following the arrow directions of the step #16. Prepare to rotate the model by 90 degrees.

STEP 18.

Rotate the model by 90 degrees.

STEP 19.

Prepare to apply two valley-folds.

STEP 20.

Apply two valley-folds of the step #19. Prepare to turn the model over.

STEP 21.

Turn the model over. Prepare to apply a horizontal valley-fold.

STEP 22.

Apply the horizontal valley-fold of the step #21. Prepare to apply two “inside reverse-folds”.

STEP 23.

Apply two “inside reverse-folds” of the step #22. Prepare to apply a vertical valley-fold.

STEP 24.

Apply the vertical valley-fold of the step #23. Prepare to apply a vertical valley-fold.

STEP 25.

Apply the vertical valley-fold of the step #24. Prepare to turn the model over.

STEP 26.

Turn the model over. Prepare to apply a vertical valley-fold.

STEP 27.

Apply the vertical valley-fold of the step #26. Prepare to apply a vertical valley-fold.

STEP 28.

Apply the vertical valley-fold of the step #27. Prepare to turn the model over.

STEP 29.

Turn the model over. Prepare to apply a vertical valley-fold.

STEP 30.

Apply the vertical valley-fold of the step #29. Prepare to apply a flat-fold (unfold).

STEP 31.

Apply the flat-fold (unfold) of the step #30. Prepare to turn the model over.

STEP 32.

Turn the model over. Prepare to apply two 90 degrees valley-folds.

STEP 33.

Apply two 90 degrees valley-folds of the step #32. Congratulations! You have just completed your heart paper airplane.