Are you tired of digging through your sock drawer looking for a matching pair? Then it’s time to learn the various ways you can fold your socks!

Folding your socks can save you time and headaches when you get dressed. Not to mention doing so stores them in an aesthetically satisfying and preservative way.

In this article, we explain how to fold your sock the right way through the seven best methods:

• The basic tuck
• KonMari fold
• The square lock method 
• The square method
• The single fold over
• The military roll
• The no-show fold

By the end, you’ll be ready to organise your socks better than ever before.

The Basic Tuck 

The basic tuck is one of the most straightforward and quickest ways to keep your socks together. Though, it doesn’t save as much room as other folds do.

To do the basic tuck:

1. Place both socks on a flat surface, one on top of the other.
2. Flip one cuff inside out while pulling both socks into the cuff.
3. You can drag the socks entirely in or leave the toes dangling out.

And that’s all there is to it!

Pro folding tip: make sure your garments aren’t already inside out when you do this fold. Otherwise, you’ll need to flip them again when you pull them out to wear.

KonMari Fold

This method was popularised by KonMari herself, aka Marie Kondo. And in line with her philosophy, the fold is simple and aesthetically pleasing.

Here are the steps to do it for mid-length socks:

1. Lay both socks directly on top of each other on a flat surface.
2. Visualise the socks being divided into equal fourths. Those are your fold lines.
3. From the toe, fold the bottom fourth of the sock up.
4. The sock should now be folded up to the halfway point.
5. Fold two more times to reach the sock cuff.
6. If done right, you should be able to stand the fold on its side.

What makes this method great is how much space it saves you.

However, it’s easy for socks to come apart in the KonMari fold. So, it’s best used at home, not when travelling.

If your socks are too short to fold in fourths, folding in thirds is acceptable. Here’s a helpful video demonstration.

The Square Lock Method 

If you want the tidiest sock drawer possible, the square lock method is the way to go. 

There are more steps involved than most other folds. Because of this, we recommend only trying this after you master a couple of different styles. However, it’s certainly a neat and classy way to store your socks. 

Here’s how to do it:

1. Lay one sock flat on a surface with the heel up.
2. Place the other sock perpendicular on top and heel up to form a cross.
3. Take both ends of the bottom sock and fold them over the cross.
4. Tuck the toe of the bottom sock into its cuff. This makes a loop around the cross.
5. Fold the top sock in the same way, linking over the first fold.

Voila! You should now have neat, square-folded socks. 

Another benefit of this fold is that it stays together exceptionally well. So, if you rummage around your drawer, you don’t need to worry about your socks separating. 

Here is a video showing how to do this fold if you struggle.

The Square Method

Similar to the square lock method, this style is excellent for organising your draw. There are quite a few steps involved. However, it’s worth it when you consider how tidy this fold looks.

These are the steps for the square method:

1. Lay one sock flat on a surface with the heel up.
2. Place the other sock perpendicular and heel up to form a cross.
3. Fold the bottom sock’s toe over and tuck it under the cross.
4. Flip the bottom sock’s cuff over. It’s okay if it sticks out.
5. Fold the top sock in the same way over the cross centre. 
6. Both cuffs should still be sticking out the sides.
7. Tuck the first cuff into the pocket formed by the fold.
8. Flip the whole thing over, and tuck the remaining cuff into the other pocket.

Congratulations, you just completed some seriously impressive sock origami!

The square method is one of the most challenging folds to do. So don’t get discouraged if it takes a couple of tries. 

The Single Fold Over

The single fold over is the tried-and-true way of folding socks. It’s simple, straightforward, and can be done in a few seconds.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Place both socks directly on top of each other on a flat surface.
2. Grab both socks by the toes, and fold them in half.

This fold is perfect if you have numerous mid-length or longer socks. It lets you see what each pair looks like while keeping them matched together. 

Plus, there’s no chance of this fold stretching or damaging your garments.

The Military Roll

As the name suggests, the military roll is a favourite among those in the armed forces. This method is all about efficiency and saving as much space as possible.

You can think of it as a more complex version of the basic tuck. Here’s how you can do it yourself:

1. Place both socks on top of each other on a flat surface, heels facing up
2. Tightly roll the socks from the toes towards the cuffs.
3. Once you reach the cuffs, pull the outer cuff around the entire roll.
4. Tuck any loose parts into the roll.

The only downside of this roll is that it can stretch and wrinkle socks. So, save it for when you’re packing small, such as camping or travelling.

The No-show Fold

No-show socks are tricky to organise. Their small size means that many conventional folds don’t work.

Thankfully, you can use a modified military roll to store them. Here’s how:

1. Place both socks on top of each other with cuffs pointed up.
2. Pull the top sock slightly in the direction of the toe.
3. Part of the bottom sock cuff should be visible.
4. Roll the socks from the toes towards the cuffs.
5. Tuck the roll into the bottom sock’s cuff.

The resulting fold is very compact. So, ensure you remember where you store your no-shows, so you don’t have trouble finding them!

Conclusion

Can we all agree by now that folding and storing your socks is one of the best ways to not only keep your socks in great condition, but also keep your drawer looking in top shape? After all, there's nothing more pleasing than opening up a drawer of beautifully arranged socks... but then we would think that at SocksFox.