How to Fold a Paper Into Thirds

Co-authored by Coco Sato

Last Updated: December 7, 2024 Fact Checked

Folding a piece of paper in half? Piece of cake. Folding it into quarters? Barely an issue. Dividing a piece of paper into perfect, crisp thirds? This can actually be a bit of a challenge as anyone who has ever folded an important piece of correspondence can tell you, there is a surprising amount of delicacy needed for this task. Whether you're sending a letter to a loved one, creating a brochure for your math project, or just dividing your scratch paper into three equal spaces, a perfectly-folded piece of paper shows professionalism and attention to detail.

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Using the "Intuitive" Method

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1
Start with your paper flat on your work area. Believe it or not, there are many ways to fold a paper into thirds, but some give more precise results than others. Try this method if you don't need to be exact — it's quick and it works well, but rarely will your results be perfect.
- On the plus side, you won't need any tools for this method.
- Note that a standard 8 1/2 × 11 inch (27.9 cm) sheet of paper doesn't have to be folded perfectly into thirds to fit in an envelope, making this a good choice for correspondence.
Your goal is to make a fat, loose roll from your paper — about the dimensions of a rolled-up newspaper. Don't make any folds yet.

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Align the edges, then gently flatten the middle. Look at your cylinder from the side — you want one edge of the rolled-up paper to be on the left and the other to be directly across from it on the right. Start to compress the cylinder, adjusting as you go to keep the edges lined up.
- You want the three layers of paper created this way to be approximately the same size. For this, you'll want one edge of the paper snug against the inside of the fold of the cylinder and the other edge lying over the top, lined up with the other fold. This is more intuitive than it sounds.
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Flatten the cylinder completely when you have a near-fit. When you see that your paper is as near to perfect thirds as you can realistically get it, press down on the edges of the paper to get smooth, clean creases. Congratulations! Your paper should be in (nearly) perfect thirds.
- At this point, you can make last-minute adjustments, but avoid making more than one crease unless your thirds are very uneven — this can look unprofessional.

Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Using the "Reference Paper" Method

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Fold a "scratch" piece of paper into rough thirds. This method sacrifices one piece of paper to help you get another piece just right. You'll need two pieces of paper for this method — one that you want to fold well and one that you don't mind ruining. Your two pieces of paper should be the same size.^{[1]
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- Get your "scratch" paper into rough thirds any way you wish — you may want to use the "intuitive" method above or one of the others in this article. You can even use trial-and-error to get your folds right.^{[2]
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Refold until the thirds are as precise as possible. Now, make adjustments to your scratch paper until you have it folded into near-perfect thirds.
- Do not worry about how many times this takes or how many unsightly creases you make — this paper doesn't "count."
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Use your scratch paper as a folding guide for the "good" paper. Once you are satisfied with the folds in your scratch paper, take the now-folded blank sheet and line it up with the edge of the paper you want to fold well.^{[3]
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Research source} Use the scratch paper as a blueprint for the folds you make in your "good" sheet of paper.
- You can do this by marking the positions of the folds on the "good" paper or using your eyes to visually compare the two sheets.
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If desired, use a straight edge to assist. If you want, you can take a straight edge (even something as simple as your envelope) and lay it over the two sheets to help you mark the folds from your scratch paper on your "good" paper.^{[4]
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Research source} If you're using a sturdy straight edge, you can even fold your "good" paper over it for precision.
- When you're done, save your "scratch" paper for note-taking or recycle it. Don't send perfectly good paper to a landfill.

Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Using the "Eyeball" Method

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1
Fold one edge of the paper over the top of the sheet. This method of folding perfect thirds uses nothing more than the measuring power of the human eye to find the spots where your paper folds into thirds. Despite this, it's surprisingly effective. In fact, once you've practiced it a few times, you can probably get away with using it for important correspondence.
- To begin, you want to take one edge of the paper and double it up, bringing it across the top of the rest of the page. Don't make any creases yet — the edge you are about to fold should be gently rounded.
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Line the edge up so that it covers half of the space. Try to line up the edge of the paper that you're holding so that it covers half of the paper that remains. The human eye is much better at judging halves than thirds, so it will be much easier to line up the paper correctly here than it would have been if you had attempted fold the paper into thirds from the beginning.
- When you have the edge of the page lined up just right, crease the paper, making sure not to let the free edge move as you're making your crease.
3
Tuck the remaining edge into the crease and fold in half. The hard part of this method is already done. Now, all that you need to do is make the final one-third fold. Do this by taking the other edge of the paper and tucking it under the top edge so that it is snug against the inside of the crease. Make a second crease.
- If you've made accurate folds, all of the edges of your paper should line up at this point. If they don't, feel free to make minor adjustments as needed.

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Using the "Origami" Method

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1
Fold the paper in half. This method uses techniques derived from origami, the Japanese art of paper-folding, to get perfect third folds.^{[5]
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Research source} Though origami is usually done with square sheets of paper, this method should also work with standard 8 1/2 × 11 inch (27.9 cm) paper like you'd find in an office. Start by folding your paper in half in the same direction you'd like to fold it into thirds.
- Note: If you don't want to make extra folds in your paper, you can find the midpoint of the paper and carefully mark a line across to divide the paper in half. If you do this, however, your line will need to be extremely straight to match the accuracy of a simple half-fold.
2
Draw a line from the bottom left to the right side of the half-fold. Position your paper so that the half fold you just made goes from left to right. Use a straight edge to carefully draw a line from the bottom left to the point where the fold in the middle meets the right edge of the paper.
- You can also do this method with a line that extends from the bottom right corner if you reverse all of the directions after this, but for convenience's sake we've decided to just give a single set of directions.
Use your straight edge to carefully draw a line from the very top left corner of the paper to the bottom right. This line should intersect your middle fold at its center and your first line somewhere on the right side of the page.
4
Make one fold at the intersection of your two lines. The spot where your two lines intersect marks one of the third folds you need to make. Use a straight edge to draw a line that passes through this point and also intersects both edges of the paper at 90 degree angles.
- Carefully fold and crease along this edge. The folded edge should divide the rest of the paper into halves — if it doesn't, you may need to make minor adjustments at this point so that it does.
Finally, take the non-folded edge of the paper and tuck it underneath the folded edge. Make a second crease when it is snug against the inside of your first crease. Your paper should now be divided into thirds.

Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Folding With the Power of Math

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Have the methods above left you unsatisfied by the preciseness of your folds? Try following the steps in this section, which should give you folds that are as close to exact as you can reasonably hope to be. You'll need a measuring tool (like a ruler) and a calculator or some scratch paper for this method. Start by measuring the length of the side you want to make folds in.
2
Divide this length by three. Doing this will give you the width of each of your thirds.
- For instance, if you're using a standard 8 1/2 × 11 inch (27.9 cm) piece of paper and you want to divide it into thirds along the 11 inch (27.9 cm) side, simply divide 11 by 3. 11/3 = 3 2/3 or 3.667. This means the folds should be 3 2/3 inches apart.
3
Mark this distance, measuring from the edge of the paper. Using your measuring tool, mark the spot that is the distance you determined above from the edge of the paper. Again, you should be measuring along the side of the paper that you plan to fold.
- In our example above with the 8 1/2 × 11 inch (27.9 cm) paper, we would measure 3 ²⁄₃ inches (9.3 cm) along the 11 inch (27.9 cm) side and mark this distance.
Make a fold through your marking that is perpendicular to both edges of the paper. This is one of your third folds. The second is easy — just tuck the other edge of paper under so that it is snug against the inside of the first crease (exactly as in the sections above.)

Expert Q&A

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Question

How can I do a perfect fold?

Coco Sato
Origamist and Contemporary Artist
Coco Sato is an Origamist and Contemporary Artist based in Brighton, UK. She is an award-winning contemporary artist specializing in origami and geometric sculptures. With a multidisciplinary practice encompassing sculpture, performance, psychology, and geometry, she explores shifting perspectives through the intricate art of origami. Coco’s work bridges cultures by combining traditional Japanese aesthetics with contemporary concepts, inviting audiences to reconsider their relationship with the world.

Coco Sato

Origamist and Contemporary Artist

Expert Answer

Take your time and be very careful with each fold. You want to lightly run just your fingertip or even your nail over the fold lines. This creates clean, sharp edges. If you have them, using tools like a bone folder from stationery or craft shops makes a huge difference in achieving a professional-looking fold. A ruler can also be used, as well as the non-sharp edge of a butter knife. Again, you need to have patience and not rush; each fold should be accurate, equal, and sharp.

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What if the paper does not fold properly?

T. Chinsen

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The best method is to score the paper before folding. A tool specific for this purpose is called a bone folder. It is available in craft stores in the scrapbooking department. Invest in one if you plan on doing a lot of folding and need crisp folds. A substitute can be the blunt tip of a butter knife.

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Tips

Try to fold rather quickly to ease your mind. You don't usually need to be perfect. If you focus too hard on getting perfect folds, you may be more likely to mess up. Just relax and go with it.

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If you're having trouble folding evenly, before you commit to creasing the page, hold the corners being folded on top of the rest of the sheet, simulating the fold without making it. Make sure both corners are exactly flush with the edge of the paper.

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Try not to crease your paper too much or it will become harder to get it perfect.

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Warnings

Ink costs a fortune! If you're making the folds for an important letter, practice on a blank sheet before you try on the final product.

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