Folding T-shirts
Lay out the T-shirt facedown in front of you and smooth it out. Straighten up the body and sleeves, brushing out any wrinkles or folds. You can use any clean, flat surface for folding, such as a table, bed, or the floor.
Fold the shirt in half so the sleeves line up perfectly. Bring 1 side over to meet up with the other, so the 2 sides mirror each other. You can fold either from the left or right—just go with whatever side is more instinctive.
Fold both sleeves together to create a triangle shape. Keep the sleeves pressed together as you fold them once backwards. Make a second fold above the elbows going the opposite direction to create a triangle shape. Make sure both sleeves fit on top of the body of the long sleeve t-shirt to create 1 long rectangle shape.
Tuck the rectangle into halves or thirds to fit in your drawers or shelves. Start at the bottom of the shirt and fold it up into a smaller rectangle. If you want to store your shirts standing up in your drawers for easier access, use the thirds technique. If you stack your shirts on a shelf, use the halves technique. Be careful about stacking too many shirts on a shelf since it will make it harder to pull out the shirts on the bottom of the stack. Try to stack no more than 3-4 shirts on a shelf.
Folding Dress Shirts
Button up and smooth out the dress shirt. Button up the majority of the buttons so the shirt will hold its shape and stay together while you fold it. Run your hands over the fabric to straighten out any wrinkles or creases, then adjust the collar until it lays flat and neat.
Lay the shirt out facedown on a flat surface. Use a clean, flat surface such as a table, dresser, or bed as your workspace for folding. Lay the shirt facedown carefully, smoothing it out and adjusting the collar if it has folded or collapsed.
Fold the left sleeve in toward the center of the shirt. Start the fold at the shoulder and bring the left arm across the back of the shirt. This will make the left side of the shirt one long line. The goal is to turn the shirt into a long rectangle shape, so make sure that the cuff on the left arm doesn’t extend past the right side of the shirt! If the arms are extra long and extend past the edge of the shirt, fold the cuff backwards so it stays within the rectangle.
Bring the right sleeve across the left sleeve to complete the rectangle shape. Now that you’ve mastered the left sleeve, do the same move with the right sleeve! Fold the right arm in at the shoulder and bring it across the left arm so they cross in the center of the shirt. Once again, make sure the right sleeve doesn’t extend past the edge of the shirt. You can always fold the cuffs back in if they extend past the sides of the shirt.
Start at the bottom and fold the shirt up in thirds. Fold the bottom third of the shirt up, then fold the next third up so it meets the shoulders of the shirt. This creates the perfect size for placing the shirt in a suitcase, drawer, or shelf.
Flip the shirt back over and adjust the collar. Straighten out any wrinkles and make sure the collar is neat before packing or storing your shirt. This technique will help protect the collar from being crushed and the fabric from wrinkling too much. Although this technique protects your shirt from excessive wrinkling, you may still notice a little wrinkling from the folds. Just keep in mind that the next time you wear your shirt, you may have to do a bit of steaming first!
Folding Sweaters
Lay the sweater out in front of you, faceup, with the sleeves spread out. Choose a flat surface, such as a table, bed, or floor, and lay the sweater out with the front facing up. Smooth out the surface of the sweater and spread the sleeves out to the sides.
Fold the right side of the sweater over with the sleeve straight out. This first fold brings the outer right edge of the sweater to the middle of the sweater. Keep the right sleeve extended straight out and lay it across the left arm so it's almost perpendicular.
Fold the right sleeve back and down so it lines up with the first fold. Fold the sleeve back inwardly just above the elbow, forming a triangle shape. Line the cuff up at the bottom of the sweater with the initial right-side fold.
Repeat the process on the left side to form a rectangle. Fold in the left side and the left arm just like you did with the right, forming another triangle with the sleeve and a straight line along the left side. Once you’re finished, the whole sweater will look like 1 long rectangle.
Bring the bottom to the top to fold the sweater in half, then in half again. This creates a thick rectangle shape that can stand up on its own. Using this method will help keep your long-sleeved sweaters neat and perfectly folded. Once you're finished, store your folded sweaters in drawers standing up. Line them up in a row so you can easily see each piece of clothing.
Packing Your Shirts into a Suitcase
Lay out your shirt so it’s facing down on a flat surface. Smooth out any bumps and wrinkles in the fabric. Spread the arms straight out before you start folding.
Fold the shirt in half lengthwise so the sleeves line up. Bring the right sleeve over to match up with the left. Fold along the center of the shirt so the 2 sides mirror each other. Smooth out the shirt to get a clean fold and line up the sleeves as perfectly as you can.
Fold both sleeves inward so they lay along the center of the folded shirt. Fold the shoulder inwards, creating a slanted line. The cuffs of the sleeves will probably hang past the hem a little bit. Run your hands over the shirt, smoothing out any creases, wrinkles, or bunched-up fabric.
Tuck the cuffs upward so they line up with the hem of the shirt. Keeping the sleeves together, fold in the cuffs so the bottom of the shirt and the cuffs are aligned. This will keep your cuffs from being crinkled when you fold the shirt in increments.
Fold in 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10.2 cm) sections until you reach the top. Instead of rolling your shirt, fold it flat in small sections, starting at the bottom, until the whole shirt is folded up. Try to match the folds up so the collar lines up with an edge. However, if the collar hangs out a little past the rest of the folded shirt, that’s okay.
Lay the folded shirt in your suitcase. Pack your shirts, especially long-sleeve dress shirts, at the top of your suitcase. This technique will probably require some extra ironing or steaming when you unpack, but the section-by-section folding will save you lots of space in your suitcase!
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