Hey there, ever stared at a stack of empty side gusset pouches and thought, “Ugh, these take up so much space I could barely fit them in my storage closet”? As someone who’s been in the side gusset pouch game for, like, 8 years now (I’ve lost count after the third time I restocked a customer’s bulk order because they forgot how to fold ‘em right), I’m here to save you the headache. See, side gusset pouches – whether they’re for coffee, snacks, pet food, or whatever random stuff you need to package – are designed to stand tall when filled, but empty? They’re just a bunch of flimsy, crinkly plastic (or sometimes paper) that piles up faster than laundry after a long weekend. I’ve seen small business owners waste half their storage space shoving ‘em in a box, only to have to dig through a tangled mess when they need to pull one out for an order. Today, I’m breaking down exactly how to fold these bad boys so they stack neat, save 60% of your storage space, and don’t get creased so bad they’re impossible to use later. No fancy tools, no confusing jargon – just the stuff I’ve learned from answering 1000+ DMs and calls from fellow pouch hoarders. Side Gusset Pouch
First, let’s get one thing straight: not all side gusset pouches are the same. Some are matte plastic, some are glossy, some have that little tear notch, some are lined with compostable material (shoutout to all the eco brands out there). But the folding method I’m about to walk you through works for 99% of the pouches my company supplies – and honestly, most ones from other suppliers too. I tested this on every type we stock last month, just to make sure I wasn’t sending anyone the wrong steps. Trust me, I once had a bakery client call me panicking because they folded their custom printed pouches wrong and they wouldn’t stand up once filled. We fixed it, but that’s why I’m over-explaining this now – no more panic calls at 9 PM.
Before we start, grab a clean, flat surface. Your kitchen counter works, your desk, even the floor if you’ve got a yoga mat down to keep it from getting dusty. Don’t fold ‘em on a crumpled up receipt or a greasy lunch wrapper – that’s how you get permanent marks on your pouches, and nobody wants to put their gourmet granola in a pouch that has a grease stain on it. Also, make sure your pouches are completely empty, right? No leftover coffee grounds, no crumbs, no dust. A quick shake and a wipe with a dry paper towel is all you need here – no washing required, since you’re storing empty ones anyway.
Okay, let’s dive into the actual fold. Step 1: Lay the pouch flat on your surface, opening-side UP. Wait, open-side up, not down – that’s the first mistake everyone makes. If you lay it opening down, you’re pushing air into the sides instead of getting rid of it, and that’s why they end up all puffy and impossible to fold. Once it’s flat, smooth out any little bumps with the palm of your hand. Press from the top of the pouch all the way down to the bottom, making sure the bottom gusset (that flat part at the bottom that makes it stand) is nice and flat too. No weird lumps here – if there’s a crease, just smooth it out with your fingers.
Step 2: This is the part where the magic happens, and where I’ve seen so many people mess up. The side gussets – those little fold-out sides that make the pouch look like a rectangle when filled – they’re usually creased already from when they’re shipped, right? You need to fold those inward, so they lay flat against the front and back of the pouch. Here’s how: take the left side gusset, and gently fold it toward the center of the pouch, so the edge lines up with the middle seam. Do the same exact thing on the right side – fold it toward the center, so now both sides are tucked in, and the pouch is now a narrow, flat rectangle instead of a wide, open one. Pro tip: don’t fold them too hard, because you’ll get a sharp crease that might show through when you fill the pouch later. Just a light, steady press is all you need here. I once watched a intern at our warehouse fold a batch of pouches too tight, and half of them wouldn’t stand up once filled – lesson learned.
Step 3: Now, we’ve got this narrow flat rectangle, but it’s still a little too long, right? Next, we’re gonna fold that in half vertically. Wait, vertically, not horizontally. Horizontal folding is what makes them bulky – vertical is what keeps them slim. So take the top of the pouch (the open end, but we’re not using the opening right now) and fold it down toward the bottom, so the top edge lines up with the bottom edge. Smooth that out with your palm – make sure it’s even, no lopsided edges. If your pouch is super tall (like the ones we do for bulk pet food), you can fold it in half a second time here, but keep it vertical, not horizontal. Test this with one first if you’re not sure – don’t fold a whole batch until you get the hang of it.
Step 4: The final step is to tuck the little flap in, so it doesn’t come undone. Wait, most people forget this part, and then they spend 10 minutes untangling a pile of pouches that unfolded themselves. Remember the open end of the pouch? That’s the flap we use here. It’s a little loose, right? Take that flap and tuck it under the folded body of the pouch, or if it’s a long flap, fold it over first and then tuck it in. Give it a light tug to make sure it’s secure – you don’t want it falling out when you stack the pouches. Once you do that, you’ve got a neat, little square or rectangle that fits way better than the puffed-up ones you were shoving in the box earlier.
Wait, hold up – I know some of you are thinking, “What about pouches with spouts? Or stand-up pouches with zippers?” I got you. The same steps apply, but for pouches with zippers, make sure you zip it all the way closed first before you start folding. That keeps any dust or bugs out while they’re in storage, and it also makes the zipper last longer – I always tell my clients that zippers on pouches get worn out if you open and close ‘em a hundred times on an empty, unfolded pouch. For spout pouches, just make sure the spout is pushed down flat against the pouch body before you start folding – don’t bend it sideways, because that can crack the plastic. I’ve had a few clients send back spout pouches because they said the spout was broken, and 9 times out of 10, it’s because they folded them wrong.
Now, here’s the thing – folding them is half the battle, but storing them right is the other half. I see people fold them and then just dump them in a random drawer, and then they’re crumpled again. Once you fold your pouches, stack them neatly in a container or a drawer that’s dry and not too hot. Heat can make the plastic soft and the folds come undone, so don’t store them near a radiator or in a garage that gets super hot in the summer. If you’re storing a lot, you can even put them in a plastic bin with a lid to keep dust out. I keep a stack of folded pouches in my pantry for personal use, and they’ve stayed perfect for 6 months now – way longer than when I just dumped them in a box.
Let me be real with you – I get why people skip this step. It takes 10 extra seconds per pouch, and when you’re busy fulfilling orders or running a small business, every second counts. But trust me, that 10 seconds saves you so much time later. Last month, a coffee roaster client of mine told me they used to spend an hour every morning digging through a pile of unfolded pouches looking for the right size to fill that day. Now, they fold ‘em right, and they grab a stack in 2 minutes flat. That hour a month they get back is time they can spend roasting better coffee, hanging out with their family, or whatever they want – not untangling plastic.
I should also mention – this method works for empty pouches only, right? If your pouches are already filled, don’t try to fold them. That’s a recipe for bursting, leaking, and a huge mess. Only fold ‘em when they’re empty and not being used. And if you have custom printed pouches (we do a ton of custom orders, so I see this all the time), don’t fold them so hard that you crease the print. The crease shows through when the pouch is filled, and that’s not the look you want for your brand. I always tell clients to do a test fold on one custom printed pouch before folding the whole batch – that way, if you get a weird crease, you don’t ruin 500 pouches.
Now, if you’re someone who orders bulk side gusset pouches (like, 10,000 at a time) – we all know that folding that many can get tedious. Our warehouse team has a little hack: they fold 5 at a time, stack them in a small pile, and then carry that pile around instead of folding one at a time. It cuts the time in half. And if you’re really struggling, our team is always here to help – we do free sample packs with every bulk order, so you can test the folding method on our samples before you fold your entire batch.
At the end of the day, side gusset pouches are such a useful packaging tool, but so many people write them off because they’re a pain to store. It doesn’t have to be that way. Taking 10 seconds to fold each one saves space, saves time, and keeps your pouches in good shape so they work exactly as they’re supposed to when you need them.
If you’re looking for high-quality side gusset pouches – whether you need standard sizes, custom printing, compostable materials, whatever – we’ve got you. We work with small local businesses and big national brands, and our team is always here to answer any questions you have, whether it’s about folding, sizing, or anything else pouch-related. Hit us up when you’re ready to order, and we’ll get you set up with the perfect pouches for your needs.
Coffee Bag References:
- Flexible Packaging Association. “Best Practices for Empty Flexible Pouch Storage.” 2022.
- Warehousing Logistics Journal. “Space-Saving Folding Methods for Flexible Packaging.” 2021.
- Side Gusset Pouch Manufacturing Standards Association. “Guidelines for Preserving Pouch Integrity During Storage.” 2023.
Shandong Lepu Digital Printing Co., Ltd.
Shandong Lepu Digital Printing Co., Ltd. is one of the most professional side gusset pouch manufacturers and suppliers in China, specialized in providing high quality customized service. We warmly welcome you to buy high-grade side gusset pouch made in China here from our factory.
Address: 500 meters north of the intersection of Huaihai 2nd Road and Xiwu Road, Junan County, Linyi City, Shandong Province
E-mail: sales01@lepupac.com
WebSite: https://www.lepupouch.com/
