How to Fold a Shirt Four Different Ways

Chances are, t-shirts make up half of your laundry pile. Whether they're cool graphic tees you can dress up with a nice pair of pants or those soft, worn-in shirts you've had for longer than you care to admit, t-shirts are a wardrobe staple we all have in our closets. If your drawers are overflowing and every time you pull out a shirt it's wrinkled and needs to be ironed, it may be time to do some re-organizing. Follow our tips and tricks for how to fold shirts to keep them as wrinkle-free as possible and save space in your closet at the same time.

Fold It Into a Rectangle

1. Lie It on a Flat Surface

   Place the t-shirt on a flat surface with the front facing down and straighten it out to remove as many wrinkles as possible.

2. Fold the Sides In Longways

   Grab the right shoulder and bottom right corner of the shirt and fold them inwards towards the center, longways. Do the same with the left side of the shirt, grabbing the left shoulder and bottom left corner and folding them towards the center. The two folded shoulders will overlap slightly.

3. Fold in Half

   Adjust the shirt so the folds are neat and tidy and there are no large creases. Then, take the bottom two corners of the shirt and bring them up to the collar, folding the shirt in half. The result will be a neatly folded flat rectangle which prevents the shirt from being too bulky to store and keeps wrinkles out.

Roll It Like a Burrito

1. Lie Shirt Front Side Down

   As in the first folding method, start by placing the shirt on a flat surface with the front side facing down. Flatten and smooth out the shirt to remove creases and wrinkles.

2. Fold Sides Inwards Longways

   Take the right shoulder and bottom right corner of the shirt and fold them longways towards the center of the shirt. Do the same with the other side — take the left shoulder and the bottom left corner and fold them longways towards the center of the shirt, overlapping the folded right side.

3. Roll Down

   Starting at the collar end, begin to roll the shirt like a burrito — roll it evenly and tightly, ensuring it doesn't crease. Keep rolling until you get to the bottom cuff.

4. Tuck Into the Bottom Cuff

   Once you get to the end, take the rolled "burrito" and gently tuck it into the bottom cuff of the shirt. The rolled shirt will stay neatly in its little pocket and you don't have to worry about it unrolling in your drawer.

Fold It In Half

1. Lay Shirt on a Flat Surface

   Take your t-shirt and place it on a flat surface with the front of the shirt facing down. Flatten it out and remove any wrinkles and creases.

2. Fold in Half Longways

   Next, fold the shirt in half longways by taking the right shoulder and bottom right corner and placing them on top of the left shoulder and bottom left corner.

3. Fold Overlap to Center

   Take the overlapping shoulders and fold them towards the center fold on the shirt. What you should end up with is a long skinny rectangle.

4. Fold Again Twice More

   Fold the rectangle in half by bringing the bottom end of the shirt towards the collar. Flatten it out and smooth out any wrinkles, then fold it over one more time so you have a neatly folded square.

Fold It Into a Square

1. Fold in Half

   Lay your shirt down on a flat surface with the front side facing down. Once you have smoothed it out, fold it in half lengthwise.

2. Fold Overlapping Sleeves

   Next, fold the overlapping sleeves over on top of the shirt so you end up with a long skinny rectangle.

3. Fold, Flip, and Fold Again

   Take the bottom end of the shirt and fold it up so that it touches the bottom corner of the folded sleeves. Then, fold it in half again, flip it over and you'll have a nicely folded square.

How to Store Shirts

The way you store your shirts is just as important as the way that you fold them. No matter how well you fold them, if they end up in an over-stuffed drawer you run the risk of them being wrinkled or even damaged. Here's what you can do to prevent that; stack shirts that are folded flat into a rectangle on shelves. This way, they'll be easily visible and accessible, and if you want to go the extra step, color code them by using the rainbow method or dividing solids and patterned shirts.

When storing folded or rolled shirts in a drawer, consider getting dividers or bins to organize them. It will help you maintain a system, your drawers will always look neat and stacking the shirts will be much easier when there are compartments to hold them in place.