Feeling down? Fold your knickers!

In a quirky new book, the queen of folding shows you how you can tidy your mind — and your chest of drawers too...

There’s something incredibly calming about the process of smoothing and folding clothes and sheets, and so much joy to be had from opening a drawer to see T-shirts, socks, tea towels and sports kit neatly arranged in rows.

My passion for folding started when I was 16 and was working as a saturday temp in a big London department store. I was drawn to a wall of denim, where piles of Diesel jeans were beautifully folded in columns, all in perfect size order with the largest at the bottom and the smallest at the top.

I was shown the fiendishly difficult ‘Diesel fold’ and immediately caught the folding bug. Over the next 15 years, I worked my way up the ranks at the store, folding for DKNY, ralph Lauren, Victoria Beckham and Armani.

But folding wasn’t just a much-loved part of my job; I discovered it brought calm and order at home, too.

Then, during lockdown at home in Guildford, surrey, with my husband and two children, aged 14 and three, I decided to post a folding video on social media — I was just smoothing out and folding a pair of socks into a neat bundle.

Incredibly, the video went viral, with people all over the world asking me for folding tricks and more videos. Before long, I had more than four million followers on TikTok and more than half a million on Instagram.

It was as if the mindful practice of transforming a chaotic pile of laundry into something beautifully ordered could help ease some of the stress we were going through at the time.

Now, I think of folding as a philosophy. If you aren’t sure you really like where you live, you’re not entirely happy with how your space works or you find it difficult to manage your belongings and you struggle to keep on top of things, I believe folding can help.

A GAME OF THIRDS

CeNTrAL to most of my most satisfying folds is one key tip: think thirds. Folding a large towel in half, or quarters, will leave untidy edges; but if you lay it flat and fold one side into the middle, then fold the other side over the top (creating three layers) all your edges will be tucked in.

Depending on the size of the item and the storage space you have, you can then turn your rectangular-shaped bundle sideways and fold it into thirds one more time.

The ‘thirds and thirds again’ fold is my go-to. It works on everything from T-shirts to tea towels, bedsheets, tablecloths and napkins.

Big items such as duvet covers can first be folded in half to form a long rectangle, then folded in half again (bringing the bottom half up over the top) before you let yourself loose with the ‘thirds and thirds again’.

THE RANGER ROLL

A sIMpLe advance on my thirds fold, which works equally well for towels and flannels, is creating a pocket on the item which holds everything securely in place.

The ‘ranger roll’ originates from the Army but it makes a brilliant addition to your folding repertoire. The key lies in making a deep ‘cuff’ along the bottom edge of whatever you are folding by tucking a narrow edge underneath itself. Then you fold first the left then the right side over each other in a classic thirds fold, ending by rolling the item from the top downwards towards the cuff you’ve created at the bottom, and finish by tucking everything into the pocket.

TRICKIER PROBLEMS

NOT everything comes as a convenient rectangle, but there is a folding solution for everything.

Hide your hoodie

• LAY the hoodie face down on a flat surface. l FOLD the hood back and smooth it flat.

• FOLD in the arms to create a neat rectangle.

• FOLD top half over bottom half.

Tidy tights or leggings

• LIE tights or leggings out flat and fold the waist back down on itself.

• FOLD the right leg over the left and smooth.

• STARTING at the ankle, fold/ roll the leggings up until you reach the waistband.

• FLIP and tuck into the pocket created by the waistband.

The new knicker trick

• LAY knickers flat and fold waistband under.

• FOLD in thirds, right side, then left.

• STARTING with the crotch, fold upwards in small folds.

• FLIP over and tuck into the waistband.

Box up boxers

• LAY boxers face down and fold the right side over, then the left to create a rectangle.

• FOLD the top third down, and the bottom third up, tucking it into the waistband.

Sock it to ’em’

• PLACE one sock on top of the other, heel to toe (one with the toe pointing upwards, the other pointing down), both heels facing you.

• FOLD or roll from the bottom.

• WHEN you reach the top, flip over and fold sock opening back over the bundle.

Set piece PJs

Keep tops and bottoms together in an ‘outfit bundle’:

• LAY pyjama top face down on a flat surface.

• TAKE the bottoms and fold one leg over the other, then lay them on the left side of the top, waistband by neckline.

• FOLD right side of top over the bottoms and tuck sleeves inside the sandwich.

• STARTING at the cuff of the bottoms, fold upwards.

• YOU should finish with a neatly folded top which hides the rest of the outfit inside.

SUITCASE CUBISM

YOU can transform your packing by buying a set of packing cubes in different sizes and shapes. This keeps everything visible rather than piled on top of each other.

Just take your folded clothes straight out of your drawers and into the cubes (one for tops, one for underwear, one for swimwear). On a shorter trip, packing cubes will allow you to live out of your suitcase without fully unpacking.

On longer trips, pop the cubes straight into the drawers. n AdApted by Louise Atkinson from the Folding Lady: tools & tricks to Make the Most Of Your Space And Find Value In Your Home by Sophie Liard (£14.99, Yellow Kite) out April 28. © Sophie Liard 2022. to order a copy for £13.49 (offer valid to 09/05/22; UK p&p free on orders over £20), visit mailshop.co.uk/ books or call 020 3176 2937.