Tip Tuesday--Folding Fitted Sheets

Last week I posted about my safety pin trick for fitted sheets.

Since then I've had at least one person confess that they were interested in my methodology because her daughter in law asked her how to do it when she first married.  Certainly, you never want to let your daughter in law down.  I might point out that the first DIL in question also didn't learn from her mom either.



I tried for years to follow the way my mom does the fold, but couldn't pull it off.  Then someone showed me this and it clicked.  I've been trying to remember who it was, but that hasn't come to me.  If it was you dear reader, feel free to remind me.

I took all of these pictures one handed and by myself, so my apologies if they are not the most clear.

Start early in the morning (you don't really have to, I just wanted you to see this pretty sunrise)

with a fresh out of the dryer fitted sheet, because no one ever lets laundry languish in the dryer; HA!

Find your safety pin and hold that corner in your left hand (your hand should be in the corner pocket of the sheet).

Follow along one edge and put the next corner with the stitches showing into the first corner you have over your left hand.

This means the stitches holding the corners together are touching.  Make sense??? Ok.  

Now run your hand down the edge of corner #2's edge and find corner #3.  This one will match up finished side to finished side thusly,still on your left hand.   It feels like you've really got a mess on your hands/hand at this point, but we're very close.  

Do the same with corner #4.  

Lay the sheet and corners on a flat surface. 

Fold the top edge down 3-4", straighten the right edge, so that things line up neatly.  Do your best with the elastic pile on the left.  

Start folding from the bottom, up in about thirds.  You want to 'seal' all the crazy uneven edges inside your folded packet.  

Then bring the top over your recently folded bottom section.  

Fold the uneven left side pile into thirds or half (depending on the size of your shelf space) folding it towards the right, again the idea is to keep the uneven edges 'inside' the pile.  

and Ta Da!  Your sheet is ready to be put away.  Get really crazy and put the pillow cases on top of your fitted sheet and then the flat sheet on top of that, and viola you'll have everything you need next time you want to put these sheets on the bed.