How to Fold Gloves

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: February 12, 2022 References Tested

You can easily fold your gloves to save space and keep your gloves neat. Fold your winter gloves to easily take them with you, or roll up plastic, disposable gloves to toss in your medical bag. Folding your gloves is a good idea if you want to prevent losing one of them. Your gloves will be compact and easy to store in no time!

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Folding Winter Gloves

1
Stack both gloves on top of each other. To get started, put one glove on top of the other. Make sure both gloves face the same direction.^{[1]
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- To check if the gloves are arranged correctly, look at the thumbs. They should neatly stack on top of each other.
2
Fold the thumbs onto the hand of the glove. To make your first fold, bring the thumbs of both gloves on top of the rest. The thumbs of your gloves should sit on the outside.^{[2]
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- Fold the thumbs together in one motion, rather than folding each thumb separately.
- Avoid tucking your thumbs inside of the glove.
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3
Bring the fingers towards the wrist of the glove. To make your second fold, move the fingers of the glove towards the bottom so they lay on top of the thumbs and hand. The fingertips should touch the cuff of the glove.^{[3]
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- Your gloves should look like a small bundle at this point.
4
Turn one of your gloves inside out around the bundle to fold it up. Flip one of the gloves over the bundle starting from the wrist. Using your fingers, grasp the fabric of the glove around the elastic wrist area. Then, stretch the glove on the outside around the rest of the fabric. It may be helpful to hold the gloves with your other hand as you do this.^{[4]
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- By doing this, you essentially tuck both gloves inside of the outside glove.
- The fabric will easily stretch over the rest of the bundle since there is elastic in the wrist.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Rolling up Disposable Gloves

1
Place one glove on top of the other and line up the bottoms. As you stack the gloves, line them up so the bottoms are even. The bottom of the gloves should be straight, rather than having one stick out further than the other. This ensures your gloves roll up as neatly as possible.^{[5]
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- Avoid stacking the gloves the opposite way, or it will be difficult to roll them up.
2
Press down on the gloves with your hand to get the air out. If there is any air caught inside your gloves, it may be more difficult to roll them up. Use your hand to squeeze out any air.^{[6]
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- You can also do this as you roll up the gloves.
3
Fold the bottom 1 in (2.5 cm) of your glove onto the hand area. To make your first fold, bring the bottom 1 in (2.5 cm) or so of fabric toward the hand of the glove. Be sure to fold both gloves when you do this.^{[7]
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- For a guideline, fold the bottom to approximately where the thumbs meet the hand of the glove.
4
Flip the gloves upside down so the folded side is on the bottom. After you make the fold, turn your gloves around so the smooth side of the gloves faces you. This way, you can easily roll up the rest.^{[8]
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- As you flip the gloves over, hold the fold with 1 hand so it doesn’t come undone.
5
Fold the thumbs over so they lay on the rest of the glove. Once you flip the gloves over, bring the thumbs towards the middle of the glove. They should lay between the ring and pinky finger, approximately.^{[9]
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- While this doesn’t have to be precise, the more compact your gloves fold up, the smaller your bundle will be.
6
Fold the pinky finger side of the gloves toward the center. After the thumbs are folded, fold the rest of the glove on top of the thumbs. Lift up on the pinky side of your gloves, and overlap them with the rest of the glove.^{[10]
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- Your glove bundle should be about 1–2 in (2.5–5.1 cm) thick at this point.
7
Roll the fingers of the glove tightly until you reach the end. To roll up your gloves, start at the fingertip side of the glove. Pinch all 4 fingers together, and roll the glove up. As you continue to roll, tuck in the sides of the glove so they don’t fall out.^{[11]
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- Hold the end of the glove with your other hand as you do this. That way, the folds you made earlier will stay in place.
- At this point, you may notice an air bubble trapped inside. If so, continue rolling your fingers as if the air bubble is not there. Most of the air will disappear as you fold it up.
8
Stretch the folded cuff of the glove over the entire bundle. Once you roll to the end of the glove, you’ll notice the first fold you made near the cuff. Grab the loose fabric with your index finger and thumb, and bring it over top of the rest of the glove. Stop when you reach the opposite side. Your glove is now in a small, compact bundle.^{[12]
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- If the plastic is really tight, that means you rolled the gloves well and there were no air bubbles.
- You can roll your gloves as tightly as you’d like, based on personal preference.