How To Fold, Store, and Roll Beach Towels for Easier Packing

March 25, 2022 6 min read

A big, soft beach towel with an awesome design is an underrated part of the swimming experience. The perfect beach towel is a game-changer for laying out by the pool or wrapping it around your shoulders after a swim.

But what about when you’re not using them? What’s the best way to fold them and store them so that they’re easy to organize and pack?

Read on for a how-to guide for keeping your favorite beach towels neat and organized.

4 Ways To Fold Beach Towels

The Easy Peasy Method

Haphazardly fold your towel this way and that. This is what too many of us already do, and it ends up with a floppy, unmanageable, and wrinkly towel. These towels are difficult to store and take up unnecessary space in your bag that can be better suited for snacks.

Looking for something a little more practical (and aesthetically pleasing)? Let’s discuss the hotel, department store, and KonMari method.

The Hotel Method

Start with the towel laying out flat with the long edges running along the top and bottom.
Fold in half by bringing the two long edges together.
Fold in half bringing the two short edges together.
Fold in half again the same way.

The end result is a stacked towel with a small surface area.

The Department Store Method

Start with the towel laying out flat with the long edges running along the top and bottom.
Fold in half by bringing the two short edges together.
Fold into thirds by folding the bottom edge ⅓ of the way up and then folding the top edge to the fold you just made.
Fold into thirds again the opposite way.

The final result is a neatly folded towel that is more or less square-shaped. With clean edges and a flat result, it’s an excellent way for folding beach towels to stack on the shelf.

The KonMari Method

This method was popularized and appropriately named by the organization wizard Marie Kondo, a Japanese author, TV show host, and organizing consultant who gained worldwide recognition for her tidying methods.

Start with your towel face down so that you can see the awesome design once it’s all folded up.
Take the long edges and fold the towel into thirds.
Take the short edges and fold the towel in half.
Take each short edge and fold towards the middle, leaving a two to three-inch gap between the edges at the center. This will leave room for the next fold.
Fold in half along the gap.

The end result is a clever fold that can lay on its side or stand up in a sort of house shape. It’s convenient for both packing and storage. Standing up your beach towels folded into these little a-frame shapes makes it easy to select which beach towel you want to use.

Roll Beach Towels For Easy Packing

Rolling your beach towel is an efficient and effective way to strategize your packing for a trip to the pool or a vacation to the beach. It saves space, prevents wrinkles, and creates cushioning for other items in your bag. It can also work for t-shirts and jeans, by the way, if you’re trying to save space (or avoid checking a bag and the pesky fees that come with it).

The Simple Way To Roll a Beach Towel

Start by taking the long edge and folding the towel in half.
Fold it in half again the opposite way so that you’re left with a manageable rectangle.
Starting from one of the short edges, roll the towel up into a log. Keep it as tight as possible.

This is where most people end. It’s a quick and effective method to consolidate your towel for convenient packing.

If you really wanted to, you could tie a string around it or use a piece of ribbon to keep it from unraveling. Or you could just stuff it down into your suitcase with things next to it to ensure it doesn’t move.

Or you could use this method:

How To Roll a Beach Towel So That It Doesn’t Come Undone

While the folding methods previously mentioned only include vertical and horizontal folds, this method requires a diagonal fold.

Follow closely:

Start with your towel spread out face down so that your design will show at the end. Or get yourself a towel with a double-sided, groovy design. The long edges should be running along the top and bottom.
Take the top left corner of your towel and fold it down so that one of the short edges is now running across the middle of your towel, still parallel to the other short edge. There should now be a second layer in the shape of a triangle.
Holding the top right corner and folded corner of the triangle, fold the towel so that the top edge meets the bottom edge. You should now have a long rectangle that comes to a point.
Take the flat side of the towel and fold it to where you can feel the original corner fold.
Starting at the flat side, tightly roll the towel towards the pointed tip.
When you get to the end, tuck the pointed tip under the first layer of the rolled towel so that it stays in place.

The result is a rolled towel that doesn’t come undone. Now you can stack it, pack it, and enjoy the satisfaction of letting it roll open when you get to the pool.

Yes, it has a few extra steps, but it only takes one time to get it down. Then it’s super easy, convenient, and it looks really cool — especially if you have an awesome beach towel from FunBoy!

Place Rolled Towels at the Bottom of Your Suitcase for Cushion

Placing rolled-up towels along the bottom of your bag makes a cushion that can help protect other items in your bag. If you’re bringing a laptop, iPad, or a glass jar of your favorite apricot jam, you can put it on top of some rolled-up towels for protection.

Tips For Folding and Rolling Beach Towels

Use a flat surface, ideally one that is high enough so that you don’t have to bend over.

Line up corners and edges to make sure that your folded towel doesn’t turn out wonky, crooked, and out of proportion.

Smooth out wrinkles before each fold by running your hand over the length of the towel. A smooth towel helps you get those clean and crispy folds.

Fluff your towel once you’re done folding so that it looks nice.

How To Store Beach Towels

Folded On The Shelves

Once you fold your towels so that they’re all neat and tidy, you can stack and organize them on shelves for an efficient use of space. Organize stacks by color or pattern.

Another way you can organize them is to keep your favorite towels on the top so that they’re easy to get to.

The only downside to stacking your folded towels on shelves is that if you want one that’s towards the bottom, it can be hard to get out without causing the others to fall over. This is the classic case of towel Jenga.

Rolled On Shelves

You can also store towels on shelves if you roll them up. It’s satisfying to stack them all on your shelving so that the ends of the rolls ace the opening of the closet. It’s kind of like building a soft, towelie log cabin.

It’s a fun and efficient way to display your collection of beach towels. Plus, if you roll them so that they don’t come undone, they’ll stay neatly rolled up even if you have to search through them all to find the towel you’re looking for.

In a Basket

An alternative to keeping your beach towels on shelves is to keep rolled or folded towels in a basket or a box. That way, you can take the whole basket out of the closet to choose the perfect towel or bring it with you to the pool.

It’s also ideal if you have little kids. A basket on the floor is much easier for them to get to and allows them to choose their fun pool towel without having to climb the closet shelving or pull all your beautifully folded towels down to the floor.

To Have and To Fold

With these folding and rolling techniques, you can transport and store your beach towels to maximize efficiency and organization. You’ll be surprised how satisfying it is to have all your beach towels folded and stored perfectly; it might even help you find some clarity in your mind as well.

Next time someone asks if they can borrow a towel, you can jump up and show them your beautiful collection!

Sources:

Marie Kondo and the fantasy of a tidy life, explained | Vox

Furniture Tip-Overs: Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe | Choice

Organizing Your Closet to Organize Your Mind | Exploring Your Mind