To use the ruler method without that ruler you can use something you have around the house. For instance, you could cut down the cardboard back of a notebook or box into a 6" wide strip. It doesn't have to be 24" long. You could take your fabric as it's folded on the bolt, bring the fold back down to the selvedge and then roll it up.

The ruler method really does save space. I've got my fabric in plastic totes and the ones that I have done this way actually have some space leftover in the tote now. I guess that means I need more fabric to fill it up properly! :)

My 2 cents.. I think it all depends on your set up in your room.. In my daughters house I had to have shelves with baskets because the room had no storage otherwise so I used the ruler method to fold and stand in the baskets.. I tried to move that idea to this house which has closets and it was a PITA ... The doors are sliding so I was constantly sliding doors back and forth and there was a space in the middle I couldn't get to with out taking everything else out first. Leaving the doors off was not an option ,not my house, Anyway I finally moved/got rid of a lot of my books and folded the fabric on comic boards. I have 5 shelves packed with over 300 pieces of fabric. I can see what I have and I am not moving a bunch of stuff to get to it. I need at least one more shelf for fabric so I am going to try and see what else I can get rid of. I have the fat quarters folded and put in baskets on a shelf. Oh the other thing I did when I folded on the boards. I measured and wrote on the board how much. If I cut a piece off I just write how much I cut off to keep track.

here's a web site that shows using the 6x24 ruler. That is what I have done and looks great!!
http://turningturning.com/tutorial-folding-fabric/

judy