Question: “I am extremely organized in terms of folding sheets and towels, but for the life of me I CANNOT fold a fitted sheet. It ends up balled between my flat sheet and my pillow cases. Drives me crazy. How do you fold a fitted sheet?”
Answer: Ahhh, the infamous fitted sheet. I know it seems like it should be so simple but it took me years before I really figured out how to fold fitted sheets! This post has a lot of pictures but it’s step by step directions in how to fold fitted sheets so that it will look just like your flat sheets. While you are learning this technique it’s good if you have a large flat surface to work on, I used the living room floor.
**I should mention that I used a Queen size sheet so if you are using a larger sheet you will have more folds at the end, or if you are using a smaller sheet you will have less folds.**
Step 1: Find the inside corner of the sheet and stick your pointer finger in it. Using the short side of the sheet find the other corner too.
After you find both corners lay the sheet on the ground, a table, or whatever is easiest. This is what it should look like:
Step 2: On the opposite side of the sheet find each corner too, however you are going to do it opposite of the top. This means you are going to do it inside out.
Step 3: Put the inside out corner into the right side out corner on each side. After that make it as “square” as possible.
This is what it should look like after you match each corner.
Step 4: Now you are going to fold it in half long ways to match up all four corners. If you look at my picture what I did was fold it in half so that the two top corners meet.
Step 5: You are almost done! Now you are going to fold it in half again, so bring the bottom up to the top.
Step 6: Fold it in half again this time bringing the left side over to the right.
Step 7: Fold it in half one more time, bringing the top down to the bottom.
This is what your finished product should look like. Side 1, see how you can see the un-squareness of it all.
Side 2, looks just like a flat sheet!
I know it works because I made my husband read the directions and fold a sheet. 🙂 Leave me a comment and let me know your success stories, I’d love to hear about it!!! Happy folding!
Here’s a little cheat sheet if you want to print it out and put it in your Laundry Room!
Juliette says
January 15, 2011 at 4:10 pmI have always wondered this! But I've always just settled for a crazy looking folded sheet. Now I have the option to make it look pretty. Thanks Anna!
Martha J. M. Orlando says
January 15, 2011 at 4:49 pmI gave up on this years ago, but now I'm ready to try again. Thanks, Anna! By the way, it was Mimi who recommended your link and I didn't catch on until I saw your last name on my blog. Thanks for following me, too!
Amy @ Increasingly Domestic says
January 15, 2011 at 9:44 pmI posted about this on my blog today…I can't wait to give this a try!
Laura Kostrikin Palm says
January 17, 2011 at 6:19 amA-ha! I KNEW I was doing it right, but i always tried folding either standing up or on my bed in a jumble with the other laundry. Thankfully, we are moving where I can actually spread out and use the FLOOR to fold!!Thank you 🙂
Bethany says
January 17, 2011 at 6:25 amyay so excited to try this!
Team Hayes says
January 18, 2011 at 1:18 amTotally did this and now my linen closet feels so much nicer! Thank You for taking my question!!
Lisa says
March 5, 2011 at 9:40 pmThis is great! The fitted sheet always looks so horrible in the linen closet. Thanks for the tips!
Bianca @ Walnut Avenue says
March 26, 2011 at 1:11 pmYou have just changed my life…hey – it's the little things that transform me!
Casey says
March 30, 2011 at 12:29 pmThanks for this!! My fitted sheets are ALWAYS a mess in the closet…so annoying, now I can get them in order!! 🙂
Kelly says
July 16, 2012 at 7:34 amThis is how I fold my fitted sheets too – then I fold the top sheet adding the fitted sheet and pillow cases in the middle – top sheet makes the whole set looks nice and neat – keeps the whole set together and they stack nicely in the linen closet this way.
Dimetra says
September 7, 2012 at 8:46 amAfter you get it folded place it and folded top sheet and one pillow case inside the other pillow case and it looks neat and all of your sheets are right there together with the set.
Mimi says
January 10, 2013 at 4:59 pmI think EVERYONE would benefit from learning this trick. Otherwise, the linen closet is filled up with a huge glob of sheets.
Tracy says
March 3, 2013 at 10:02 amI have been searching on pinterest for how to fold a fitted sheet. Your directions are the only ones that made sense to me. Thank you so much!
Anna says
March 3, 2013 at 3:17 pmYay, I’m so glad I was able to help!! 🙂
Sarah McGill says
January 3, 2014 at 8:46 pmBtw, I like your new hair color, suits you well! I always put the fitted sheets in the back of the linen closet so they wouldn’t ruin the neatness of everything else that I folded so well, (I love folding laundry! ) but now I can place them with the rest! Can’t wait to try it! 🙂
Arleen says
February 11, 2015 at 5:03 pmI gave up and just started shoving it in a pillowcase, this is something to try for sure
sheila says
February 14, 2015 at 9:24 amI fold my sheets this way except I never put a clean or even dirty sheet on a floor. It is dirty!! If you cannot get someone to help you hold it in the air to fold it together… then on a clean surface such as a counter or table. Then follow your directions. Never place a clean item on the floor please. Good information. On how to fold these difficult items.
Terri says
February 8, 2016 at 11:44 amThen once the set is all folded nice & neat, I take one pillow case & slide the 2 sheets & other pillow case(s) inside and fold over the excess of the outer case. That way when it’s time to change the bed, everything is stored together & I don’t have to worry about dropping an item.