Every so often a flag comes back to our shop rolled up like a beach towel. Hard crease straight across the stripes. Inside, a note: is it ruined? It isn't. A crease is not damage. Nobody hands you a lesson in how to fold an American flag when you buy one. On a kitchen table it is seven moves.

TL;DR: Two lengthwise folds. Then triangles from the striped end until only the blue field shows. Tuck the leftover edge inside. That is the method the VA and the American Legion publish. Keep it off the ground. The meanings people read aloud for the 13 folds are tradition; the Flag Code sets no folding method at all. We fold plenty of 3x5 house flags alone on a table.

How to Fold an American Flag, Step by Step

We make flags in the USA, and we fold the same way for a display flag coming off our wall and a 3x5 that came back to us as a return. These steps follow the VA's published method (Correct Method of Folding the United States Flag) and the Military OneSource flag presentation brochure. Nothing fancy.

  1. With a partner, hold the flag waist high and level with the ground. Never let it touch the grass or the floor (4 U.S.C. § 8(b)).
  2. Fold the lower striped half up over the blue field, lengthwise.
  3. Fold it lengthwise again, folded edge to open edge. The blue field now sits on the outside.
  4. At the striped end, bring the corner of the folded edge up to the open edge. That is your first triangle.
  5. Turn the outer point inward, parallel to the open edge, to form a second triangle.
  6. Keep folding triangles toward the blue field until you run out of stripes.
  7. Tuck the leftover strip, header included, into the last pocket. Only blue and stars should show.

Pull the cloth taut before every triangle.

Folding a 3x5 Flag Alone or With Two People

Here is how to fold a flag into a triangle on a kitchen table, the way we do ours. Clear the table. Wipe it dry. Lay the flag face up with the striped end nearest you and smooth it flat. Make the two lengthwise folds. Then a heavy book goes on the union end. A dictionary works. So does a cookbook. Skip the book and you chase the flag across the table on every triangle.

A partner helps. The person at the union end just holds tension. A 5x8 is another story. Long and floppy. The American Legion notes a large flag may need a third lengthwise fold (flag-folding procedures). We add that fold on our bigger sizes.

Our Durable Patriot 3x5 has a reinforced polyester header with heavy-duty brass grommets at the hoist end. That strip is the last thing you fold. We push it deep into the final pocket so the metal stays hidden and off the stars. Embroidered stars add bulk, so the last tuck is firm. Use your thumb.

The 13 Folds Meaning Is a Tradition

More questions reach us about the 13 folds than about any actual step. So, only what we can source.

The respect section of the U.S. Flag Code (4 U.S.C. § 8) never mentions a folding method, and neither does the rest of the Code. No meanings either. An Air Force article says neither Congress nor federal flag laws assign special meaning to the individual folds (U.S. Air Force). One of the oldest recitations is attributed to an anonymous chaplain at the Air Force Academy. The American Legion lists its origin as unknown, with some crediting the Gold Star Mothers of America and others calling it an urban legend (American Legion).

The Army's Fort Jackson casualty-assistance office prints the full recitation (U.S. Army Fort Jackson). The first fold is a symbol of life. Once the flag is fully folded the stars sit uppermost, a reminder of the national motto, "In God We Trust." Several folds carry religious language, with the 11th and 12th speaking to Hebrew and Christian citizens. Serious words. Whether to read them is your call.

At national cemeteries the VA lets volunteer honor guards read it, or any comparable script, when survivors request it and supply the text (VA policy, via the American Legion). Traditional graveside honors fold the flag in silence. We think silence is fine at home, too.

On a 3x5 house flag we rarely land on exactly 13 folds.

The count depends on the size of the flag and the width of your folded strip. Nobody on a porch is grading it.

Storing a Folded Nylon or Spun Polyester Flag

Clean and bone dry, or we don't fold it. A damp triangle shut in a closet can pick up mildew, and the Flag Code says a flag should never be stored so it can be easily torn or soiled (4 U.S.C. § 8(e)). After a rainy week ours hang indoors until the hem feels dry. Then we fold. Heavier 2-ply spun polyester like our Everlast American Pride dries slower than nylon in our shop, so give it longer. A folded spare makes the storm swap quick; our Durable Patriot 3x5 pack of 3 leaves one in the drawer.

Printable Flag Folding Card

We wrote this card for classrooms and scout troops getting ready for Veterans Day. Print the page or screenshot the box.

Flag folding card

  1. Two people, waist high, flag level. Keep it off the ground.
  2. Fold the striped half over the blue field, lengthwise.
  3. Fold lengthwise again. Blue field on the outside.
  4. Striped corner up to the open edge: first triangle.
  5. Turn the outer point inward, parallel to the open edge.
  6. Repeat triangles toward the blue field.
  7. Tuck the leftover edge. Only stars show.
  • Folding alone: clean table, book on the union end.
  • Large flag: add a third lengthwise fold.
  • The 13-fold meanings are a tradition. The Flag Code sets no folding method.

When to Fold and Put the Flag Away

Once you know how to fold an American flag, the rest is timing. Fold it after you lower it at sunset. Or before a storm. Flying it overnight for Veterans Day? Our Veterans Day flag etiquette guide covers night lighting. If the fly end is shredded past repair, retire the flag with dignity (4 U.S.C. § 8(k)) and pick a fresh Durable Patriot or another flag from our American flags collection.

A neat triangle cannot hide a shredded hem.

Related from our blog: Veterans Day flag etiquette. Nylon vs spun polyester American flag.

Questions About Folding an American Flag

How many folds are in a folded American flag?
The ceremony is known as the 13 folds, and the recitation assigns meanings to the folds. A burial flag and a 3x5 house flag differ, so the number of triangles changes. Aim for the shape: a tight triangle with only blue and stars showing.

Does the Flag Code say how to fold the flag?
No. The Flag Code in 4 U.S.C. covers display and respect, including keeping the flag off the ground and storing it so it cannot get torn or soiled. It gives no folding steps. The triangle fold is the traditional method, published today by the VA and the American Legion.

How do you fold a flag into a triangle by yourself?
Lay the flag face up on a clean table and make the two lengthwise folds. Set a book on the union end so it stays put. Work the triangles from the striped end and tuck the last edge in. A 3x5 folds easily alone. Anything bigger goes better with a partner.

What do the 13 folds mean?
The recitation printed by the Army's Fort Jackson runs from life to the armed forces to the motto "In God We Trust." The Air Force says no federal law gives the folds any meaning, and the American Legion lists the origin as unknown. Treat it as a tradition you can choose to read.

How should I store a folded flag?
Fold it only when it is clean and fully dry. Keep the triangle on a shelf or in a drawer away from damp basements and sharp edges. A display case suits a presentation flag. Check a stored outdoor flag before you hang it again.

Sources

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