You need one uncut sheet of printer paper, short edge at the top. No scissors, tape or clips. Measurements are rounded to the nearest ⅛ inch, as in the app.

moves fold line where it lands Diagrams are drawn on Letter and zoom in after the fold in half; the bar in each corner is 1 inch. Tap a diagram to watch the fold.

Fold it step by step

01
Crease down the middle
Fold the sheet in half the long way. Press a sharp crease, then open it flat again.
Run your thumbnail along every crease. Sharp creases hold their shape.
02
Fold the top corners in
Bring the top-right corner down so the top edge lies right along the center crease.
Line the edge up first, then press the fold flat.
03
Now the left corner
Same thing on the left side. Now the top looks like a pointy roof.
Both sides should meet exactly on the crease.
04
Fold the edges in again
Fold the new slanted right edge in to the center crease. The nose gets sharper.
Keep the point crisp; a slightly rounded tip is fine.
05
Match it on the left
Fold the slanted left edge in to the center too.
Check the two sides are mirror images.
06
Fold it in half
Fold the plane in half along the center crease, with all the flaps on the inside.
Press from the nose toward the tail.
07
Mark the tail triangle
Mark 2⅛ in (5.3 cm) forward from the back of the center fold. Make another mark 1 in (2.5 cm) straight across from that back end. Crease through both marks, then unfold.Mark 5.3 cm (2⅛ in) forward from the back of the center fold. Make another mark 2.5 cm (1 in) straight across from that back end. Crease through both marks, then unfold.
Fold the two sides together, press, then unfold. This is only a guide.
08
Reverse the tail into a fin
Open the back of the body a little. Push the small triangle between the sides and lift its point. Close the body around it.
Keep the wings out of the pocket. The small upright point is your tail fin.
09
Fold down the first wing
Fold the top layer down along a line 1 in (2.7 cm) up from the center fold, parallel to it.Fold the top layer down along a line 2.7 cm (1 in) up from the center fold, parallel to it.
This leaves a small body underneath to hold on to.
10
Turn it over
Flip the plane over so the other side faces up.
Keep the nose pointing the same way.
11
Fold down the second wing
Fold this wing down to match the first one exactly.
Hold the two wings together to check they line up.
12
Open the wings
Keep the center body pinched closed. Open both wings, then lift their tips into a shallow Y.

Check the shape

From behind: this is the view to compare with your plane.

Keep the fin upright when closing the surrounding layers. A fin trapped under a wing changes the intended outline.

Before you open the wings, hold the plane closed against a window: both wing outlines should cover each other. Fix an unequal wing crease before reaching for trim.

First flights

Launch: Pinch the body ahead of the fin. Throw firmly and level.

Tail fin. Grip the body ahead of the fin. Pinching the tail flattens the fin you just reversed upward. Straighten it before each throw.

If it misbehaves

Dives straight down: Release level, then bend both back edges up a hair.
Climbs, then drops: Flatten those bends a little; throw nearer level.
Always turns one way: Compare the wings first. Then bend the edge on the inside of the turn down, or the outside edge up, very slightly.

Full troubleshooting guide →

The app can fly this plane in a simulator. Its distances and paths are simulation output; this page makes no claim about how far a hand-folded Skylark will fly.

More pointed darts

Two pairs of diagonal folds stack the layers into a sharp nose. It is the sequence most people already half-know, which makes it the easiest place to learn symmetry, and the stunt setups start from this body too.