Japanese T-Shirt Folding

Folding clothes has never been this much fun. What you need: a short-sleeved t-shirt and just a little patience.

Step 1: On a nice wide surface, lay a T-shirt flat in front of you, right side up, and with the collar part closest to you.

Step 2: With your right hand, use your thumb and forefinger to pinch the edge of the fabric about an inch or two to the right of the collar (about halfway between the edge of the collar and the edge of the shoulder seam).

Step 3: Still holding the fabric with your right thumb and forefinger, take your left hand and draw an imaginary straight line from where you’re pinching with your right hand to about the middle of the shirt (halfway between the top and the bottom). Pinch that with your left hand thumb and forefinger, making sure to get both sides of the fabric.

Step 4: Still pinching the fabric, bring your right hand over your left hand so that you are folding the shirt in half, the collar part touching the bottom part. With your right hand, grab both the original place where you were pinching and the very bottom of the shirt along the same imaginary line.

Step 5: This step is the most crucial part of the whole endeavor—it has the potential to be the place where it all goes wrong, or the moment where all the magic happens. So: Your right hand, the hand farthest away from you, should be pinching the top and the bottom of the T-shirt, and your left hand, the hand closest to you, should still be pinching the shirt in the middle. Lift both hands up directly, picking up the shirt, then—still with your thumbs and forefingers pinching the shirt in those two spots—pull your hands away from each other. (Your right hand moves to the right, your left hand moves to the left.)

Step 6. Your right and left hands should be in front of you, still pinching the shirt, and the shirt should be hanging down. Gently swing the shirt away from you and lay it on the table without letting go. Bring your right and left hands simultaneously away from you so that the fabric folds over to cover the sleeve of the shirt. Let go of the fabric and you should see the shirt folded in a perfect rectangle.

Step 7: Marvel at the glory of your awesomely folded T-shirt!