Easy paper plane crafts

There are lots of easy ways to make paper airplanes, but one of the most satisfying paper plane crafts is this speedy paper glider. All you need is a piece of paper, a light wooden stick or dowel and an easy-to-use glue like Pritt All Purpose Glue Tube.

1. Fold a piece of A4 paper in half and make templates. Draw templates for four strips on the folded paper, with the crease exactly in the middle of each strip. The wings resemble a long, slightly squashed triangle, about 20-30 cm in length. The support for the wings should be the same shape as the wings, but about half the size. The tail will look like a smaller version of the wings – about 8-10 cm in length. The support for the tail should be a thin rectangle, smaller than the tail.
2. Cut out the strips and glue the wings onto the stick. After cutting out the strips with scissors, add a small amount of glue onto the top of the stick, about 5 cm away from the top end. Attach the wings, making sure they’re symmetrical.
3. Attach the support for the wings. Turn over the stick. Add some glue to the support for the wings and attach this smaller bit of paper to the stick so it’s directly beneath the wings, in the middle.
4. Attach the tail. Turn the stick over again, so the wings are on the top. Add some glue to the very end of the stick (the opposite end to the wings), and attach the tail, again making sure that it’s symmetrical.
5. Add the support for the tail. Turn over the stick. Glue the support to the stick so it’s directly beneath the tail, in the middle. Wait for the glue to dry.
6. Add some tape to the nose of the plane. Wrap several layers of sticky tape around the “nose” (the end of the stick closest to the wings), to create a small cone. Glue it in place. Alternatively, you could add a small piece of adhesive putty like Pritt Multi Tack. The extra weight in the nose will help to keep the glider airborne.

If you’re interested in making easy paper airplanes without gluing, start with this classic design. Remember, symmetry is essential if you want to keep your plane in the air, so take care when folding the paper.

1. Fold a piece of A4 paper in half lengthwise. Then unfold again and lay flat.
2. Fold the top corners. Bring both the top corners towards the crease in the centre and fold them to create a point. Keep them folded.
3. Create new folds. Fold one of the new top corners towards the crease to form a long, thin triangular shaped fold. Repeat with the other top corner. Press firmly on the new folds to make sure they stay in place. The top part of your paper should now look like a triangle.
4. Close the plane. Fold the paper along the centre (where you made the first central crease). The thin triangular shaped folds should be on the inside.
5. Make the wings. Fold the angled sides of the paper down until they touch the central crease and smooth them with your fingertip. Then unfold both wings slightly so the plane looks flat on top.
   

If your plane keeps crashing, try adding some weight to the nose – attach a paperclip or staple, or simply create another fold in the tip of the nose.

Once you’ve mastered the art of making easy paper airplanes and gliders you can move on to more complex paper plane crafts, but this design is ideally suited for beginners. You can have fun decorating your plane, experimenting with different shapes and weights, and having competitions to see which plane flies the fastest and the furthest!