|

How to Fold a Sweatshirt

This post may contain affiliate links provided for your convenience. We earn commissions if you shop through the links on this page. I am also an Amazon Associate and earn from qualifying purchases Read my full disclosure policy.

Sharing is caring!

Originally published February 19, 2018, updated on September 30, 2020 and March 24, 2023.

With five people in my family, I feel like I’m an expert on laundry and folding clothes – an expert’s expert. With five people, we have many (probably too many) sweatshirts in our home. With all that folding experience, I’ve figured out how to fold a sweatshirt in the best way that works for us.

4 neatly folded sweatshirts standing up on table and same sweatshirts stacked with title text reading How to Fold a Sweatshirt

This one folding method works well whether you choose to stack the sweatshirts or fold and file them in a drawer. 

Folded sweatshirts filed side-by-side on a table

Figuring out how to fold a sweatshirt may seem like a small thing, but it’s often the small improvements that make a real impact on your day-to-day life.

How many times have you fought to pull a sweatshirt out of a drawer and then stuff the other ones that came out too back into the drawer?  Or how many times have you wrestled to pull the sweatshirt you want out of the bottom of the stack of sweatshirts, only to have them all come unfolded and fall over? Argh!

I figure there are enough little hassles in life that anything I can do to reduce a hassle or two is worth it. This sweatshirt folding method doesn’t take any longer and helps keep my sweatshirts neatly organized. 

How to Fold a Sweatshirt

I used to fold sweatshirts like t-shirts. I folded each arm in and then folded the sweatshirt in half. I found that the arms of the sweatshirt always fell out of the neatly folded package. And that drove me crazy. I’d stand in the closet and try to neatly fold it again while standing up. 

One day in frustration I discovered how to fold a sweatshirt that’s quick and easy and keeps the sleeves in place when it’s folded.

Let’s start with what didn’t work for me.

2 photos of how to fold a red sweatshirt
Yield: 1

Folding a Sweatshirt

Stack of folded sweatshirts.

This one folding method works well whether you choose to stack the sweatshirts or fold and file them in a drawer. 

Active Time 1 minute
Total Time 1 minute
Difficulty Easy

Materials

  • Sweatshirt

Tools

  • Flat surface

Instructions

  1. Fold the sweatshirt in half. Smooth any wrinkles out and match the sleeves up. First step of folding a sweatshirt
  2. Fold the sleeves into the body of the sweatshirt. Second step of folding a sweatshirt
  3. Fold the sweatshirt in half.  Completion step of folding a sweatshirt
  4.  Fold all the sweatshirts in the same manner. This keeps all sweatshirt approximately the same size for each size sweatshirt.
  5. Stack sweatshirts or fold the sweatshirt in half one more time to easily file the sweatshirts in a drawer. Folded sweatshirts filed side-by-side

Notes

If it’s a larger sweatshirt, I fold the shoulder farther into the body and then fold the sleeve back on itself.

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Best Way to Fold a Sweatshirt

Step 1 –  Fold the sweatshirt in half. Smooth any wrinkles out and match the sleeves up. 

First step of folding a sweatshirt

Step 2 – Fold the sleeves into the body of the sweatshirt.

Second step of folding a sweatshirt

If it’s a larger sweatshirt, I fold the shoulder farther into the body and then fold the sleeve back on itself.

Step 3 – Fold the sweatshirt in half. 

Completion step of folding a sweatshirt

Step 4 –  Fold all the sweatshirts in the same manner. This keeps all sweatshirt approximately the same size for each size sweatshirt.

Pile of folded sweatshirts

You can easily stack the folded sweatshirts on a shelf. The pile will stay neatly in place. If you have multiple sizes stored together, keep sweatshirts of the same size together and place the largest sweatshirts at the bottom of the pile. 

Stack of folded sweatshirts

Fold the sweatshirt in half one more time and you can easily file the sweatshirts in a drawer or on a shelf. I prefer folding and filing sweatshirts because it’s so easy to see everything at once and then pick the one you want.

Get my 37-page How to Fold Clothes ebook now with images and directions for folding all types of clothing.

collage of pages of how to fold clothing

No tumbling through a stack of sweatshirts to find the one you want. Folding and filing sweatshirts saves steps when you select the one you want:

  • Don’t have to lift sweatshirts up so that you can see which ones are at the bottom of the pile.
  • Don’t have to move the top half of the pile to get to the one you want.
  • Don’t have to return the top half of the pile after you’ve removed the one you want. 
  • Don’t have to straighten the pile back neatly.

I prefer to fold and file most of my clothing. I’ve shared more free folding and filing clothes tips below. 

Folded sweatshirts filed side-by-side

More How to Fold Tips

  • How to Fold a Hoodie – Have you struggled with how to best fold a hoodie? Three tutorials for different folding methods for a hoodie will help find what works best for you.
  • How to Fold Clothes and More – Knowing how to fold clothes properly to keep them neat and organized makes all the difference in reducing stress and mess. These tips on how to fold clothes and how to fold linens are field-tested in my family of five. 
  • How to Fold Socks  – Keep your sock drawer neat and tidy with your choice of 4 different ways to fold socks.
  • How to Fold Jeans – Learn how to fold & organize jeans like a professional to save space & make your drawer or closet tidy. Works for pants, too.

Do you have a special way you use to fold sweatshirts? I’ve tried several different ways to fold and organize sweatshirts and this how to fold a sweatshirt tip is my favorite.

You can find all our best clothes organizing and care tips in the table below. You can scroll though the table and look for ideas or search for specific ideas with the magnifying glass in the upper right-hand corner (on desktop). Click on the topic and then click through the specific article.

Similar Posts

6 Comments

  1. I like the idea of folding and filing. My youngest son’s shirts are folded and stacked according to color, but he still has to look through them to find the one he wants. Filing would solve that problem. Thanks for the idea and demonstration.

  2. This is deceiving from steps 2 to 3 you show sleeves facing in then when you fold sweatshirt in half they are now facing backwards?

    1. I’m sorry if the images are confusing. I can see how it might be confusing. After step two, simply fold the bottom of the sweatshirt up to the neckline and then flip it over to see the front.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *