How to Burrito Roll a Shirt

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 21, 2021

Burrito rolling a shirt, also known as folding a shirt military style, is a great way to save space in your suitcase when you are packing for a trip. You can also burrito roll your shirts to create more space in your drawers or closet. There are a variety of ways to create the burrito roll. Choose the method that works best for you.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Trying the Original Method

1
Lay your shirt flat. Lay your shirt on a flat surface, such as a bed or table, with the front of the shirt facing the ceiling. Make sure the shirt is smooth and flat as well.^{[1]
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2
Fold the bottom of your shirt. Invert and fold up the bottom three to four inches (76 to 102 mm) of your shirt to make a cuff. At this point, the bottom section of your shirt should look like a sleeve that has been folded up.^{[2]
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3
Fold one side inwards. Fold either the right or left side inwards toward the middle of the shirt. It should line up with the middle of the shirt. Then fold the sleeve backward to make it line up with the shirt as well.^{[3]
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4
Fold the second side inwards. Take the other side and fold it inwards and on top of the first side. In other words, make sure to overlap the first side with the second side. Also fold the sleeve backward so everything lines up.^{[4]
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- At this point, your shirt should look like a vertical rectangle.
5
Roll the shirt. Starting at the top, roll the shirt toward the bottom until it is fully rolled. Make sure to roll the shirt tightly. The tighter the roll, the more compact the shirt will be.^{[5]
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6
Tuck the shirt. Remember the cuff you formed in the beginning? Use this to tuck the shirt to form the burrito. Turn the rolled shirt over to locate the cuff. Fold the cuff over the rest of the shirt to form the burrito.^{[6]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using an Alternative Method

1
Lay your shirt on a flat surface. Lay it on a bed, table, or couch. Make sure the front of the shirt is facing the ceiling and it is smooth and flat.^{[7]
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2
Fold the sleeves inwards. Do this to both sleeves. Make sure just the sleeves are folded inwards and not the sides of the shirt.^{[8]
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3
Fold the bottom. Fold the bottom half of your shirt up, but behind the shirt. In other words, the folded bottom half should be underneath the shirt, not on top.^{[9]
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4
Fold the sides inwards. First fold the right or left side inwards toward the middle of the shirt. Then fold the other side on top of the first side. The second side should overlap the first side so that everything lines up.^{[10]
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- At this point, your shirt should look like a vertical rectangle.
5
Roll your shirt. Starting at the top, roll the shirt downward toward the bottom. Make sure to roll it tightly so it is nice and compact.^{[11]
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6
Fold the top flap over. Once your shirt is rolled up, there should be two flaps on top of the roll. These flaps were formed when you folded the bottom half of the shirt up and behind in step three. Take the top flap and fold it back and over half of your shirt to form the burrito.^{[12]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Trying the Long Burrito Roll

1
Place your shirt face down on a flat surface. The back of your shirt should be facing the ceiling. Place it on a flat surface such as a table, bed or ironing board.^{[13]
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2
Fold the bottom up. Fold the bottom half of your shirt all the way up to the top of the shirt. In other words, the bottom of the shirt should be on top of the collar section of the shirt.^{[14]
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3
Fold both sleeves inward. The sleeves should be flat and on top of the shirt. They should not be behind or underneath the shirt.^{[15]
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- At this point, your shirt should have a square-like shape.
4
Roll the shirt. Starting at the right or left side of the shirt where the sleeves are, start to roll the shirt. Roll the shirt to the other side until it is completely rolled and it forms a long burrito. Make sure to roll the shirt tight and compact.^{[16]
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- For example, if you are starting at the right sleeve side, then roll the shirt toward the left sleeve side.