Turn a Towel Cake into a Gift or Centerpiece for Any Occasion

A towel cake is generally a full set of towels, folded to look like a three-tiered cake, and then decorated with flowers, trinkets, or gifts. The two bath towels comprise the biggest layer on the bottom, the hand towels are coiled for the second tier, and the wash cloths comprise the top tier. Let your imagination be your guide. Skilled towel cake designers create masterpieces that almost look like real cakes. There are no rules. Some towel cakes resemble sheet cakes, cupcakes, or cake slices. Some incorporate real cake toppers, pedestals, and doilies. Other towel cake designers create single layer round cakes, and stuff the center with goodies. Pictures of Towel Cakes.

You can't eat it. How do you use it?

Most people make towel cakes for gift giving or party centerpieces. They're a great conversation starters at weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, or birthday parties. If you use it as a centerpiece, it can stand alone, or be stuffed with cutlery, tacked with candy, or party favors. People also give towel cakes as gifts, or stuff gifts into them. A towel cake makes a creative gift to a party hostess, because she can dismantle it for personal use after the party.

How do you make a Towel Cake?

Towel cakes can be very simple or very elaborate. You can choose any towel colors, and plush towels make fuller cakes. If you plan to gift the towel cake, consider the theme of the party you're attending or the bathroom scheme of the person you'll gift the towel set to. Monogrammed towels are an excellent way to make the gift special. Many towel cakes are basic white, but you could mix it up with textured white towels. To make a basic three-tiered towel cake, you'll need two bath towels, two hand towels, and two wash cloths. Below are very basic instructions on how to construct your towel cake:

Fold each piece above in half lengthwise. Fold them once more lengthwise.

Attach the ends of each set of two towels with corsage pins or safety pins, forming three long strips. Make sure the flat sides (the towel edges when it's flat) all face the same way.

Roll each strip evenly and carefully, pinning it down to secure it. You now have three tiers.

Stack them according to size, with the pins all facing the back.

Decorate the towel cake with silk flowers, real flowers, ribbons, or party trinkets from a store like Party City. Check out some other Towel cakes for inspiration. You'll pin the decorations, or stick them in the coils. Some people use glue guns, but I don't recommend that if you plan to gift the towels.

How do you stuff gifts in a towel cake?

It doesn't matter if it's a birthday, graduation, retirement party, baby shower, bridal shower, or even a house warming party, you can find something to stuff in the towel cake. If you plan to stuff the cake, make sure that you don't roll the strip coils too tightly to fit anything between them. Don't know what to put it in? Again, imagination is key.

Suppose you attend a bachelorette party. Stuff the cake with bedroom toys, massage oils, and candles. Crown the top tier with a garter belt or sleep mask. For a more tame housewarming party, you make create a cake out of kitchen towels, and oven mitts, or stuff the traditional towel cake with kitchen items, decorating books, and a gift card. Once, I saw a wedding towel cake stuffed with bills in small denominations. Do not over stuff the cake, so that it loses shape of things fall out of it.

How do I transport a towel cake?

Towel cakes are fragile. First, pin the layers to each other, or pin down some Velcro strips between the layers to help keep them attached. You might also use two long strips of ribbon to tie it down just as you'd use ribbon around a birthday gift box. Cake Towels also come in baskets, or wrapped in clear plastic like an Easter basket. Another great idea is to put a plate or platter beneath it, which becomes part of the gift. If you don't choose any of these methods, just put it in a box to transport it and then carefully unload or restack it when you arrive at your destination. Let the person you gift it to know that it contains pins, tape, etc, but they can disassemble it to use the towels.

Towel cakes are a fun and expressive way to give a gift or make a centerpiece for your next party. When you aren't sure what to get somebody, just roll up the towels. In about fifteen minutes, you'll have a basic towel cake, ready to decorate.

Sources:

How to Make a Bridal Shower Towel CakePictures of Towel Cakes