How to Fold an American Flag

When your flag isn’t on display, fold it into a traditional triangle shape and store in a safe place to show your respect. Here’s how to do it.

What You Need

• an American flag, a second person to help fold

Follow These Steps

1. Start by holding the flag parallel to the ground, at waist-level, making sure to keep it nice and taut.
2. Fold it in half, length-wise, so that the Union (that’s the part with the stars) faces the ground.
3. Now fold it in half again. The stars should now face out from both sides of the flag.
   
   Tip: As you’re folding, make sure the crease is perfectly aligned. You can also smooth it out with your hand to get rid of any air bubbles.
4. Now you’re ready to start folding the triangles. While your partner holds the flag taut, take the left-hand corner on the end opposite from the stars and fold it up on top of the flag so that the edge is parallel to the right-hand side. The stripes should now run perpendicular to each other, forming a triangle.
5. Now take the outermost point of the triangle’s edge, and fold it over the flag. Continue to do this until the stripes meet the stars. Try to make the folds as tight as possible.
6. Tuck the remaining flap into the slot formed between the stars and stripes.
7. You now have a perfectly folded flag that will fit neatly in any drawer.