When Sophie Liard launched her TikTok in 2020, it was meant to be a hobby during the lockdown. The United Kingdom-based creator started out in retail, folding clothes in a department store. Now she dispels handy hacks to the masses—everything from how to fold towels to how to fold fitted sheets, blankets, jeans, delicate knits, and more. After two years at the gig, she has amassed more than 4 million followers on the app, another half a million on Instagram, earned the nickname The Folding Lady and is publishing a book, The Folding Lady, this April.
So what’s the secret to her wildly popular how-tos? She shows simple, clever, easy-to-follow (and quick!) solutions that tackle tidying up without the tedium. It’s the same angle she takes in her forthcoming book, which illustrates how to fold pretty much anything: boxers, pants, socks, bedding, towels, even napkins and wrapping paper. As with Marie Kondo’s folding, the result is a peaceful space with an added benefit of inner joy. “For me, it’s been a great way to take some control back in my life. There can be a real mindfulness side to folding clothes,” Liard says, adding that it can be a “life-changing way of thinking.”