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 hard, and open it again.
Every fold on the Needle lines up with this crease, so make it sharp.
02
Fold the top corners in
Bring the top-right corner down so the top edge lies along the center crease.
Same start as the Dart.
03
And the left corner
Same on the left side.
The edges meet on the crease without overlapping.
04
Edges to the middle
Fold the slanted right edge in to the center crease.
The point gets sharper.
05
Left edge too
Fold the slanted left edge in to the center.
Keep the tip crisp.
06
One more time
Fold the right edge in to the center again. It is thick now, so press firmly.
This extra fold is what makes it a Needle.
07
And the left, again
Fold the left edge in to the center to match.
Run a fingernail along both folds.
08
Fold it in half
Fold it in half along the center crease with the flaps inside.
Squeeze it flat from nose to tail.
09
Mark the tail triangle
Mark 1⅞ in (4.7 cm) forward from the back of the center fold. Make another mark ⅝ in (1.5 cm) straight across from that back end. Crease through both marks, then unfold.Mark 4.7 cm (1⅞ in) forward from the back of the center fold. Make another mark 1.5 cm (⅝ 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.
10
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.
11
Fold down the first wing
Fold the top layer down on a slant: ¼ in (0.5 cm) from the center fold at the nose, ¾ in (1.8 cm) from it at the tail.Fold the top layer down on a slant: 0.5 cm (¼ in) from the center fold at the nose, 1.8 cm (¾ in) from it at the tail.
Keep the body strip thin so most of the paper goes into the wings.
12
Turn it over
Flip the plane over.
Nose stays pointing away from you.
13
Fold down the second wing
Fold this wing down on the same slant as the first one.
Hold them together to check.
14
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.

Grip ahead of the fin. Holding the rear corner can flatten the very feature you just reversed upward.

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: Grip the body in front of the tail. Give it a firmly, straight throw.

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 Spire will fly.