I got this technique from a man who learned to fold backdrop tarps in theaters. As shown in the drawings, lay the tarp on dry ground fully extended (1). Bring one edge into the center of the tarp, then bring the other edge to meet it (2). Bring the new edges into the center again (3). Now fold the whole thing in half (4). For larger tarps, start with lengthwise folds to the center.
The benefits:
- Ropes at the edges and any frayed edges are tucked well into the middle of the bundle.
- When unfolding the tarp, I have much more control over how much of the tarp I unfold for a particular task.
- On a rainy day, if I unfold the tarp with the folded edges underneath, rain won’t collect inside the folds.
Rich Kramer, Berlin, MA
Edited and Illustrated by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #240
