This is easiest to do on a hard, flat surface like your kitchen counter. If you’re especially dexterous, you can try folding a triangle in the air without a flat surface. Just keep in mind this will be fairly difficult and you may just end up frustrating yourself. If you can’t do it now, you may want to try again after you’ve had some practice folding. Do your best to get all of the air out of the bag. Run your hands across the bag to smooth it out.
Be sure to flatten the bag and squeeze the air out of it after each fold. The flatter the bag is, the easier it will be to fold into a triangle. The number of times you’ll need to fold the bag lengthwise will depend on its size and the shape of its handles. This step typically takes a total of two or three folds.
Flatten and smooth out the triangle you’ve just formed. At this point, the overall shape of your folded bag should look like a rectangle that shares one shorter edge with a much smaller isosceles right triangle.
The overall shape of the bag should once again be a narrow strip or rectangle. This method is similar to the technique used to fold a flag.
You should be making a new isosceles right triangle to add to your “stack” of triangles with each fold. Don’t forget to smooth and flatten every time you fold. If your triangle is too puffy, it will not hold together.
Smooth your bag out onto a hard, flat surface. Run your hands over the bag to remove as much air as possible. The flatter you make your bag, the smaller your finished knot will be. Fold your bag in half lengthwise to form a rectangle. Smooth and flatten as before. Fold your bag in half lengthwise again. It should once more form a rectangle, this time with a more narrow width. Keep folding the bag in half lengthwise until the layers are thick enough that you begin to feel some resistance. Make sure to flatten with each fold.
Test the flexibility of your strip by wrapping it around your fingers. If it’s too stiff to do that, it will be too stiff to tie a knot with. Unfold the width crease and one or two length creases. Fold your strip back widthwise and test it again.
The loop is the first step in tying what will be similar to a repeated overhand knot. [4] X Research source If you have difficulty working with the strip because it’s too short, you can always undo the widthwise fold. However, your knot will not be as compact or easy to undo.
Make sure you’re wrapping the plastic bag in on itself in one big ball of a knot. You do not want to make a separate knot over the first, as this will be a double knot. Double knots are harder to undo.
The knotted ball will not be nearly as neat and aesthetically pleasing as a folded triangle. Instead of displaying these bags, simply place them in a bucket or bag caddy until you need one. [6] X Research source
