How to Fold a Fitted Sheet With Pictures

Believe us — you're not the only one who struggles with folding fitted sheets. If you’ve clicked on this article, you’re probably one of the millions of people tired of opening the linen cupboard to find a crumpled mess. It’s often the simplest tasks that stress us out the most — so we’ve made it our mission to help you learn how to fold a fitted sheet. And as experts in all things bedding, we know a thing or two about turning your bulky mess into a masterpiece...

How? By following 10 easy steps.

That may seem intimidating, but rest assured, the whole process will take you less than 20 seconds. Here’s our comprehensive guide to folding a fitted sheet.

Step-by-step guide to folding a fitted sheet

Let’s get right into it. Follow these 10 steps, and you'll master this seemingly challenging task in no time.

1. Fold in half.

Place the fitted sheet on a flat surface and fold it in half lengthways. Make sure the elastics match up.

2. Match the edges.

Locate all four edge seams. Match up the corresponding seams while the sheet is still lying flat. You should now have two straight sides to work with.

3. Turn inside out.

Fold the left side inside out.

4. Stack the edges.

Tuck the now inverted left side into the right, matching up all four seams.

5. Flip and turn.

Use your right finger to pinch the top corner of the seams. Motion your right hand forward and under. Using both hands, flip the seams inside out and turn 90° clockwise. This move’s a bit tricky — refer to the video below for better reference.

6. Lay it flat.

Hold the corner of the seams with your left hand and guide your right hand down until you’ve created a rectangle. Once again, lay the sheet flat.

7. Fold diagonally.

Make the folded edge on the left side meet the top edge.

8. Fold up.

Fold the bottom of the sheet up to create a long rectangle.

9. Fold edges inward.

Fold each side of the rectangle into the centre, leaving a 5cm gap.

10. Fold crosswise.

Fold the sheet in half again crosswise, and you’re done!

Still confused? We don’t blame you! Here’s the full tutorial in motion.

Fitted sheet organisation FAQs

Folding a fitted sheet vs flat sheet

Once you’ve mastered fitted sheet folding, the rest is easy! Fitted sheets usually come with elastic around the edges, but flat sheets, as the name suggests, lay flat with no elastic.

Folding flat sheets is as easy as finding a flat surface and folding lengthwise, crosswise and so on. Fold your flat sheet to the same size as the fitted sheet, so it's easier to stack in your linen closet or drawer.

How do you fold bed sheets together?

Fitted sheets aren't the only ben linen people use. Knowing how to fold your fitted sheet is one thing — knowing how to bundle your sheet and quilt cover sets is another. 

Keeping all of your sheets together is the ultimate space-saving, organisational hack. After you’ve folded your fitted sheet, simply fold your matching flat sheet and quilt cover to the same size. Then, simply place them inside of their corresponding pillowcase. Voila! Easy storage.

How to organise fitted sheets

There are countless ways to organise your sheets to keep your linen cupboard tidy. Properly folding fitted sheets is sure to help, but you can also try storage boxes, shelf dividers and even baskets to help you keep your linens organised.