How to Make Towel Animals

Add a little wild side to your bathroom by folding your towels into animal shapes. Stand an elephant on the counter top with a pair of sunglasses to greet guests. Hang a monkey from the shower curtain rod and you're sure to get some giggles. Whatever animal you choose, making towel animals is fun and easy. All it takes is a few simple folds and twists.

Things You'll Need

• For each animal:
• One bath towel
• One hand towel
• Adhesive-backed black felt
• Safety pin

Instructions

Elephant Base

1. Lay the bath towel flat horizontally in front of you. Fold the towel in half from left to right and make a crease at the fold to mark the center. Open the towel back up.

2. Roll up each side of the towel until they meet in the middle at the crease.

3. Keep the towel rolled up as you fold it in half with the rolls facing out. Place all four ends down to look like four legs standing.

Elephant Head

1. Lay the hand towel flat horizontally in front of you.

2. Fold the towel in half from left to right. Keep it folded and turn it so the folded edge is closest to you. Roll the corners closest to you tightly at an angle in towards the center.

3. Grasp the roll about two-thirds up from the bottom (point) of the roll. Twist the ends out to form large ears without untwisting the rest of the towel "trunk." Secure the back of the head with a safety pin to hold the roll and place the head on the base. Add eyes made from black felt.

Monkey

1. Lay the bath towel flat horizontally in front of you. Fold the towel in half from left to right and make a crease at the fold to mark the center. Open the towel back up. Roll up each side of the towel until they meet in the middle at the crease.

2. Pick the rolled towel up and fold it in half keeping the rolled sides facing out. The straight edges of the towel should be perpendicular to you. Firmly hold the folded towel and gently tug the points of each end out from the center of the four rolls.

3. Grasp the two left-side towel ends in your left hand and the two right-side towel ends in your right hand. Pull them away from each other forming the arms and legs of the monkey.

4. Lay the hand towel flat horizontally in front of you. Fold the right side over to meet the left side. Fold the top-right corner down to the bottom-left corner to make a crease along the diagonal. Open the towel back up from the diagonal fold.

5. Roll the towel in towards the diagonal crease from the top right corner and the bottom left corner until the rolls meet in the middle. Starting with the end closest to you, roll the towel into a ball with the rolls inside until you come to the beginning of the points. Peel the points apart and wrap them around the ball until they meet in the back and can be secured with a safety pin. The front becomes the face of the monkey with a mouth. Make eyes from the black felt and add the head to the monkey body.

References

• The Lost Art of Towel Origami; Alison Jenkins; 2005

Resources

• Homemade Gifts Catalyzer