How To Fold T-Shirts: Simple Trick For Organizing Your Shirt Drawer

Do you feel like your shirt drawers are out of control, with lots of messy t-shirts just shoved and stuffed in there?


It is easy for these drawers to get out of control, but here's a simple trick to get your shirts organized and make it easy for you to find the one you want when you're getting dressed in the morning.

It all has to do with the way you fold your shirts and put them in the drawer.

(Please note, that as always I also suggest decluttering your dresser or other clothing drawers, as well as getting rid of excess shirts, and you can read my tips about that decluttering mission in the linked article. However, even with decluttered drawers, and less shirt clutter, this folding technique can still really improve the overall organization of your drawers!)

Instead of just folding them haphazardly and then placing one on top of the next you can instead fold your t-shirts into a rectangle or square shape and then file them on their side, almost like file folders, to get the result above.

The photos above were sent in by a reader, Jennifer, who obviously achieved a dramatic result with just this little trick.

Below is a video which gives you detailed instructions on how to fold t-shirts this way.



This folding and organization tip has been so popular, because it both works and because it's easy to implement. See below for another reader photo where she showed the steps of how she folds her t-shirts, as well as before and after pictures from more readers who've implemented this tip, to get you excited to try it for yourself!


Top photo courtesy of Jennifer Malonzo-Rocero, and bottom photo courtesy of another reader, Erica

Steps For Folding T-Shirts & Other Shirts

Folding t-shirts, or other shirts in this manner is pretty simple, as shown by a reader, Carolina, who sent in the photo above with the steps of the process.

In addition, there's a couple of alternatives or variations of this folding method that also work to help you organize your clothing drawers.

Variation 1: Use A Laundry Folder Board

The first of these variations is to use a laundry folder board to help you fold your shirts.

Several people have suggested that using one of these boards is faster or easier for them, and/or allows them to get more consistent results.

You can get one of these laundry folding boards here:

Laundry Folding Board {Referral Links}

Variation 2: Rolling Your Shirts

Some people also prefer to roll up their shirts, instead of folding them. They then place the shirts within the drawers in a similar manner as already suggested.

In fact, you'll see a couple of photos below of organized dresser drawers where the person has chosen to roll the shirts instead of fold them.

It's totally your preference which of these methods you choose.

Whichever method works well for you, then great! Using any of them will make your drawers look organized and neat.

Before & After Photos From Readers Who've Used This Shirt Folding Technique

Here are some photos from readers who've seen this tip, and then implemented it in their own drawers.

These before and after photos really illustrate both how much neater your drawers can look when everything is folded uniformly, but also how this folding technique can allow the same number of shirts to fit into a smaller space.

That means you can worry less about decluttering clothes, and instead easily find and enjoy the ones you do own!

The photos above were sent in by a reader, Lynn. She said, "I did this to all the drawers too. So much more space now!"


These photos above was sent in by another reader, Gynne. She said, "Well I've just finished doing this and love it. I've ended up condensing 2 draws into 1, before a mess, after heaps good."

Folding Shirts This Way Can Work For Both Adults & Kids

The really great thing about this simple folding technique is that it works for both adults and kids. You can see that from the many photos shared by readers who've seen this tip, and then done this for their own clothing drawers.

In the collage photo above, the top photo is from a reader, Desiree. She said, "Singlets/ tshirts rolled to maximise space (I can fit 4 times more doing this rather than having them folded).

The bottom left photo is from Karen, who said, "Three bags full of clothes to donate and only kept some favorite tshirts. Organized so I can see what I have and if a new one comes in, then one will have to go out!"

Finally, the bottom right photo is from Jessica, who said, "I couldn't squeeze in another shirt when they were stacked on top of each other, and hubby couldn't ever find what he wanted, so this one needed to be done right away for everyone's sanity."

The folding technique also works for organizing kids dresser drawers as well. You can see that from these photos below.


The top photo of this collage was provided by a reader, Andrea, who said, "It works. This only took ten mins from stuffed to overflowing to wow."

The bottom photo was provided by Noe, who said, "This is how we do the girls' shirts, roll them up, single layer in a shallow drawer (colored tool boxes as dressers)."

My Daughter's T-Shirt Drawer Has Stayed Organized & Neat!

by Carolina

Carolina says:

When I saw this idea I just had to try it.

It's been about 6 months since I first started putting my daughters clothes away like this. Not once have I had to take everything out and reorganize. It's been such a big help.

It's easier to put clothes away and organize them and easier to find clothes if we're ever running late.

Taylor says:

Thanks so much for sharing this photo Carolina, it looks great.

This just shows that this method for organizing and storing t-shirts works well not just for adults, but for kids as well.

Have you done this with your t-shirts? I'd love to hear how it has worked for you, or even to see pictures of the results you've achieved using this method.

You can click here to submit your own photos of this or any other organizing trick you've got for clothes. I'll add the best ones to the site and show off your organizing genius!

***Update: By popular demand when people read this page they wanted to know how to organize and store their tank tops and camis as well. I have several ideas at the link that you can use if you're interested! *** End update

Are You Inspired To Get Organized Now?

Once you tackle one organizing project I've found that organizing can get addicting. If you're all fired up now I'd love it if you joined us to get your whole home organized.

You can join the 52 Week Organized Home Challenge today, where over the course of the year we slowly tackle each major area and room in your home and get it all decluttered and organized.

Are you ready for the challenge?

If you really want to start with organizing more of your clothes and closet, make sure to check out the Organize Closet Challenge here on the site.

In addition, as much as folding your shirts this way helps you fit more of them into a drawer, there comes a point where you just can't fit anymore t-shirts into the space.'

That means you've got to declutter.

Here's my Declutter 365 mission for how to declutter shirts and tops from your wardrobe, so click the article for more ideas.

Related Idea: How To Fold Kitchen Towels For Better Organization

The way you fold clothes or other items in your home really can make a difference in organizing!

Here's another example, showing how to fold kitchen towels and dish cloths, here on the site. Check out the article!

Some links on this page are affiliate links, meaning that if you purchase a product through them I receive a small commission which helps me provide this information to you for free, plus support my family. My integrity and your satisfaction are very important to me so I only recommend products I would purchase myself, and that I believe would benefit you. To learn more please see my disclosure statement.

Related Pages You May Enjoy

Get Rid Of Clothing & Closet Clutter Hall Of Fame

Kids Organization Tip: Use Dresser Drawer Labels To Keep Clothes Organized

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