Since the perimeter of a triangle is merely the sum of all sides, the value of the perimeter would give us the length of the straw before it was folded. Given perimeter = 12x^2 - 6, where x = 1.5:
P = 12x^2 - 6
P = 12(1.5)^2 - 6
P = 21
Therefore, the length of the straw before it was folded is 21 inches.