Posted in Organization

Simple Journey Ministries Presents

Keep it Together, Girl!

Area Specific Folding can Save Space

When I was a girl, I spent a tremendous amount of time with my Nana. It was very convenient for me, because she lived in the apartment upstairs. Her kind heart offered me tons of advice and know-how that I never realized I would use when I was a woman.

Being from the Depression Era and living in a 3 bedroom apartment with her father and her 11 brothers and sisters, she knew a LOT about space efficiency. One of the best concepts she ever taught me was the beauty of area specific folding. This is nothing more than folding items in a specific, and sometimes non-traditional way, to optimize the use of space.

If you do not have a lot of drawer space, consider hanging more items in your closet. When that is not an option, area specific folding can save the day! You can fit twice as many T-shirts in a drawer by following this simple method: fold them in half long ways; fold the arms in; fold in half again (this is where many people stop folding); now on a flat surface, roll from the center fold. Place all t-shirts in the drawer rolled in these cylinders. You will not only almost double your space, BUT you will also be able to see every shirt at a glance, instead of having to dig through an overstuffed stack. Want another great reason to try this? Your t-shirts will stay wrinkle free!

Another area specific folding trick is with towels of all shapes and sizes. Generally speaking, linen closet shelves are narrow. This means that folding a towel in half, then in half again (producing a large square) would not fit well. However, by altering the way you fold your towels, you can achieve a well folded towel in a shape and size that will fit YOUR shelving, allowing for maximum storage efficiency. Try folding a towel in half, from top to bottom. Repeat. Now fold in 1/3 from the side to slightly over the middle. Bring in the other side to match. Now you have a nicely presented smaller rectangle that will fit on near every linen closet shelf.

Consider using the internet to look for different folding formats. Consider the space you have to store the item and the best and most efficient way to fold the items that will be stored on those shelves and/or drawers. This will allow for maximum storage and a neat and tidy space, without much effort. Once you get the hang of a new folding pattern, it will become second nature before you know it. So don’t be afraid of change.

These are my thoughts.