How to fold a T-shirt

Perfect rows of neatly folded clothes in mall stores attract shoppers' attention. All you have to do is reach out your hand to find the required size of the chosen style and take it with you to the fitting room. Most likely, you have wondered whether it is possible to maintain the same order in your own wardrobe?

In fact, knowing a few simple secrets about how to fold clothes can save you time searching for the necessary wardrobe item and overall packing. In addition, the skill will be useful in the process of packing a suitcase. If equipped correctly, you won’t have to use an iron to iron your clothes, and there will definitely be some free space left in your suitcase.

How to fold T-shirts

When organizing order, it will not be enough to assign each type of clothing its own shelf, since a carelessly folded item will hide the space and spoil the overall appearance. In this article, we'll start with something simple: how to fold a T-shirt to keep your closet organized.

How to properly fold T-shirts for storage in a closet or transportation in a bag or suitcase so that they do not wrinkle

There are 3 main ways of folding T-shirts: traditional, “Chinese” and tourist. Some of them are very fast (literally in 3 seconds the T-shirt will take a presentable look), while others are compact.

Let's look at each method carefully.

How to quickly fold a T-shirt: diagrams and practical recommendations

The traditional method of folding T-shirts is used by sales associates in clothing stores. Note that they can be used to fold long-sleeved T-shirts and some types of men's shirts. To do this you will need to do the following:

1. Place the T-shirt on a flat surface with the back facing up. The fabric must be ironed to avoid wrinkles.
2. Fold the sleeves of the T-shirt inward.
3. Fold the right edge of the sleeved T-shirt over the back. The fold should run parallel to the side of the product.
4. Fold the left edge of the product in the same way. Be sure to make sure that both sides lie parallel to each other and form a rectangle.
5. Carefully tuck the lower part towards the neck, about 15 cm wide. The result should be a rectangle, but shorter in length.
6. Fold the product in half and turn it face up.

The “Chinese” method takes a minimal amount of time, but will require some manual dexterity. Follow the algorithm carefully:

1. Lay the T-shirt face down on a surface. The neck of the product should be located on the right side.
2. Mentally draw two lines: one runs along the T-shirt from the shoulder seam, retreating a few centimeters from the collar, the second divides the product exactly in half across.
3. With your left hand, take it at the point where the lines intersect, and with your right hand, take it near the gate from where the first line departs.
4. Place your right hand behind your left so that the top edge of the product connects with the bottom. With your right hand, grab the bottom of the T-shirt. With your left hand, continue to hold the T-shirt in the middle.
5. Lift the T-shirt with outstretched arms, straighten the product and shake it.

The tourist method is suitable for packing clothes for a business trip or vacation with limited space in your luggage. To do this you will need:

1. Place the T-shirt on a flat surface with the back facing up. The fabric must be ironed to avoid wrinkles.
2. Fold the sleeves of the T-shirt inward.
3. Fold the right edge of the sleeved T-shirt over the back. The fold should run parallel to the side of the product.
4. Fold the left edge of the product in the same way. Be sure to make sure that both sides lie parallel to each other and form a rectangle.
5. Roll the resulting rectangle into a tight roll.

How to quickly (in 2 seconds) fold a T-shirt: video examples

In order to learn how to fold clothes using the methods described above, we recommend watching the video instructions at the links below:

Traditional way:

"In Chinese"

Tourist

How to fold a T-shirt beautifully so that it doesn’t wrinkle or become deformed

To make a folded T-shirt look neat, many people use a special “folding board” device. With its help, clothes will be folded in one size and take up much less space in the closet.

How to compactly and neatly fold a T-shirt as a gift

In modern shopping centers or online stores you can choose a T-shirt as a gift for every taste.This could be a stylish casual T-shirt from a well-known brand as a gift for your best friend or with an animal print from a gift shop for a colleague. To make a gift make a special impression, we recommend using the universal packaging method in colorful paper.

Popular methods of folding T-shirts as a gift for a man

When folding a T-shirt as a gift, they use the so-called “liner” method. The cushioning material can be thick cardboard paper, a standard blank A4 sheet or translucent material. The insert allows you to keep the T-shirt presentable, while also serving as an assistant when folding the product.

This method resembles the traditional method described in the article, let’s consider it step by step:

1. Place the T-shirt on a flat surface with the back facing up, place the A4 cardboard in the center of the product just below the collar.
2. Fold the left and right sides of the T-shirt so that the edges of the cardboard act as fold lines for the product.
3. Fold the top of the cardboard over the cardboard and turn the product over to face you.

Rigid packaging, such as a cardboard box, is suitable for transporting the product. If this is not available, we suggest a universal method using wrapping paper. Let's consider the traditional method and “with a pigtail”.

In the traditional method, we will need wrapping paper, sharp scissors and double-sided adhesive tape.

1. Place the gift in the center of the laid out paper and mark the edges where you need to cut. It is advisable to leave a margin of 5 centimeters on each side. Fold a sheet of paper along the markings and carefully cut the fragments.
2. Bend the long edges of the paper 1 centimeter on both sides, place it on the product and glue it end-to-end.If necessary, the “seam” can be closed with tape.
3. Fold the side edges on both sides of the product into a trapezoid shape and glue it to the product with an overlap.

The gift in traditional packaging is ready. If desired, you can further decorate with ribbon.

To wrap a gift using the pigtail method, you will need wrapping paper or film, double-sided adhesive tape, sharp scissors, and a variety of decor. When packing this way, you must have a certain skill; you can practice on newspaper or plain paper. This way you can understand where the folds of the product will go and where the tape will be.

1. Place the gift closer to the edge of the product; the remaining fabric should be enough to cover the end part.
2. Fold the bottom of the paper over the gift, making sure the paper covers the box more than halfway.
3. Fold the sheet from the sides to the ends. You should get triangular valves of small and large sizes, carefully smooth them out.
4. Fold the small flaps as if we were braiding a pigtail, first on one side, then on the other. Fold the large flaps in the same way.
5. Secure the top flap with tape and decorate with a decorative element. To give a gift to a man, it is advisable not to overload the packaging with unnecessary details and not to use elements of costume jewelry. A simple, neutral-colored wrapping paper with an original ribbon is best.

Bad Examples

When packaging a T-shirt as a gift, you should consider the features of the product. The wrapping paper material should not be soft, as it serves to maintain the shape of the product. In this case, papyrus tissue or rice paper will not work.

The shape of the packaging should follow the shape of the product itself.When folding a T-shirt using the methods described above, we get a square or rectangular object, depending on the proportions. In this case, it is undesirable to use a round or oval packaging shape. It can ruin the appearance of the product and wrinkles will appear on the fabric.

What affects the quality and speed of folding T-shirts

The skills to fold clothes well come from experience. To do this, it is recommended to fold clothes immediately after use. And a special “folding board” device will help you learn how to do this quickly.

You will first need to wash the clothes, iron the fabric of the product and hang it on hangers. This will help avoid wrinkles. It is advisable that the folded T-shirts in the stack be made of the same material, this will make it more neat and stable.

What role does the fittings play?

A folding board or “folding board” is a modern device that will allow you to fold a T-shirt (and other items) into the perfect shape in an instant. If you wish, you can make it yourself.

To do this you will need a cardboard box, a marker, adhesive tape, and a stationery knife.

1. Cut 6 identical rectangles from a cardboard box measuring 30 cm in length and 20 cm in width.
2. Arrange the cut out fragments in a mold of three pieces in a row, one below the other. There should be a distance between the rectangles, no wider than the size of the adhesive tape.
3. Glue the blanks together with tape along the center line. Perform the same procedure on the lateral lines. As a result, it turns out that the upper three parts of the product are fastened together, and the lower ones are independent of each other.

To fold a T-shirt using this method, simply lay it out in the center of the structure, fold in the sleeves, and then fold the edges of the structure one by one. All folded clothes in this way will look neat in the closet.

What fabrics make T-shirts fold neatest?

The most convenient for folding are T-shirts made from natural fabrics. They meet the requirements and standards for underwear: durable and breathable. By folding 100% cotton or linen clothing, you can be sure that the item will look neat in your closet, and you can create tall stacks of uniformly shaped T-shirts.