If you’ve ever tried to fold a fitted sheet on your own before then you know how frustrating that experience can be. Why can’t you just lay flat?
It is true that the elastic sides make it a bit more of a puzzle, but there’s actually an easy hack to folding a fitted sheet that you’ll want to know.
Some tutorials I’ve seen make it seem even more confusing, but this is our easy way to get a flat and folded fitted sheet to neatly tuck away in your linen closet.
Folding a fitted sheet is something that I didn’t take time to figure out until I was in my 30s … it just looked so complicated. But once I saw this method, it clicked for me after a few tries—and I’ve been folding like a pro ever since!
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I would definitely suggest watching this short video a few times before starting! That way you will know where you are going, and then you can follow along with your own sheet more easily.
I’ll show you how to do it with a twin sheet (which makes it easier to see what I’m doing since it’s smaller), but the same exact method applies to crib size, twin, queen, or king size fitted sheets.
Step One: Start with a fitted sheet turned inside out. Holding the sheet lengthwise (so the longer way) put your hands all the way into the corners where the corner seams are like you would put on a mitten.
Step Two: Take your right hand and “clap” it onto your left hand so the two seams are touching. Fold that right hand side over the left so they fit within each other.
Shake out the sheet a bit to untangle the excess fabric.
Step Three: Slide your right hand in where your left hand is and swap hands so your left hand is free. Follow the elastic edges with your left hand down the side of the sheet until you find the two corners that are dangling on that side.
You can shake that side a bit so they are right side out at first. Fit those two corners into each other so they match and mirror how your right hand looks.
Now, you should have two corners on your left hand and two corners on your right hand.
Step Four: Repeat the process of taking your right hand and “clapping” it onto your left and then folding over your right hand corners so that they are laying on top of the left hand with all four corners now on top of each other.
Shake out the sheet a little and you should have a loose rectangle shape.
Step Five: Lay your sheet on a large flat area like a table, bed, or floor so you can smooth it out. Fold the sheet lengthwise (the long way) into three sections to make it a very long rectangle.
Then, fold the sheet three more times widthwise (the short way) to end up with a neat rectangle. You did it!
PRO TIP: When folding a sheet set, fold the fitted and flat sheet and tuck both of them into the corresponding pillowcase so you can keep the whole set neatly together!
There you go! Once you realize how easy it really is to get a fitted sheet to behave, you’ll never go back to just balling it up and throwing it in the linen closet. Happy folding!
P.S. Check out this post to Make An Easy Duvet Cover With Any Flat Sheet!
