Have you ever thought about learning towel art? No, it's not all about painting on towels or painting with towels. Towel art is the practice of turning a simple, soft towel into a character, shape, or animal of your choosing.
This art form is perfect for adding a personal touch to your guest bedroom or bathroom suite, and is easy enough that even kids can learn how to do it.
The craft of towel art is very similar to the Japanese art of origami, which uses paper instead of towels to create beautiful and intricate designs.
All you need to create towel art is a clean, fresh towel (in any size of your choosing, although regular bath towels tend to produce the best results), and a little bit of hand dexterity.
Once you realize how easy it is to start making these charming little towel sculptures, you won't be able to stop!
We've got the basics to get you started so that you can give your room that special spa or hotel feel.

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Majestic Swan

There are few scenes more romantic than a pair of swans gliding towards each other on a lake. You can bring the love into your home with a simple swan-shaped towel sculpture that adds beauty and charisma to any room. This is also the easiest towel sculpture to make.

This tutorial will teach you how to make a single swan from scratch, which you can then duplicate to make a pair – if you wish. All that's needed to start is a clean bath towel, a clean hand towel, and a flat surface. The process takes roughly 10 minutes, depending on how experienced you are.

• Spread your bath towel out lengthwise on your surface
• Roll the left corner into the center of the towel
• Repeat from the right corner.
• Keep rolling both sides until you end up with a long V shape – the point is going to be the beak
• Pick up the point gently and pull it back over the back of the V
• The long bit towards the tip of the beak is going to be your swan's neck. Arrange it in an appropriate S shape to look as realistic as you would like. This will provide the swan with the structure it needs to stay firmly in place
• By this point, your swan may look a bit like a duck. To give it a more feathered, realistic appearance, take your hand towel and fold it in half
• Place the folded hand towel on the back of your swan, and adjust until it looks accurate
• Use your fingers to pinch the swan's beak into a sharper point if you prefer

And there you have it – a graceful swan-shaped piece of art.

Just remember to use white towels, making sure both the bath towel and hand towel match up in tone and texture. For extra romance, scatter a few rose petals around your fabric arrangement and watch guests swoon with delight.

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Friendly Elephant

If swans are not your thing, perhaps an elephant-shaped towel artwork is more up your alley? All you need to make this friendly elephant is a clean bath towel, a clean hand towel, and a smooth, flat surface to work on.

• Start by laying out your bath towel horizontally in front of you
• Fold the left side in towards the middle by 6 inches. Then fold over another 6 inches
• Repeat on the right side
• You should now have a strong scroll shape. Fold it in half and stand it up straight to make your elephant's legs. The flat side of the towel should be facing inwards
• Now position your hand towel horizontally on your surface. Roll the left and right sides in towards the middle, making a mini version of the bath towel
• Flip the towel rollover. Turn up one of the pointed ends to make a trunk
• Fold the top layer of the top end downwards, forming a face
• Adjust the far-right and far-left sides to make big ears
• Now, place the hand towel head on top of the bath towel body to complete the elephant

The elephant shape is bound to be a hit with children or in a safari-themed room. It is a little more challenging than the swan, but with enough practice, it can be done in less than 15 minutes.

This form of elephant towel origami is one of the most popular animal shapes that you might find in hotels, cruise liners, and resorts. Now, you can have it in your home.

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Stretching Cat

The cat is one of the most advanced towel sculptures, so make sure you get in a bit of practice before making your first attempt. Feline fans will adore this playful, stretching cat sculpture, and even those who prefer other animals won't be able to deny its charm.

As the most complex form of towel art on this list, the stretching cat can take anywhere between 15 and 20 minutes to make. To create this towel sculpture, you will need a clean bath towel, two clean hand towels, and a flat, smooth surface to fold on.

• Start by laying out your bath towel on your surface
• Grasp the right side of your towel and roll in towards the middle. Stop at the centre point
• Repeat on the left side. You should now have a double-scroll shape
• Tuck the top ends of the scroll inwards and down towards the middle section
• Flip upside down, so that the tucked bit is facing down. This is your cat's arched body
• Lay out one hand towel in front of you so that the shortest edges are facing you
• Fold the hand towel in half, lengthwise
• Now roll the towel into a cone shape, starting with the top right-hand corner and stopping roughly halfway down. Aim to keep your rolls as tight and firm as possible
• Next, take the opposite unfolded edge and roll it in towards the center. Keep rolling until the two towels meet
• Pick up the two towel rolls together and ensure that the hand roll is very tightly positioned
• Place your cone-shaped hand towel with the wider side down in between the two rolls of the bath towel. This is to create the tail shape
• Firmly position your cat's tail into the body. Adjust to your own eye's perfection
• Now for the head. Take your third and final hand towel and fold it in half
• Grasp the edge with the flaps and fold 2/3 of the way
• Lay the folded hand towel down. Fold one of the corners inward, creating a triangle. Now do the same on the opposite end. These will be the cat's ears
• Starting on either side of the towel, roll all the way across until you get a soft square shape with two little ears peeking out
• Place the head on top of your cat's body

There may be many steps to completing this playful, stretching towel origami cat, but the result is well worth your while. This variety of animal-shaped towel sculptures is great for interior decorations and making guests feel extra special whenever they come to visit.

You can also easily rope in younger kids to learn a new skill and have fun at the same time. Even toddlers can enjoy the soft, non-dangerous practice of artistic towel folding.

Now that you know how to make a swan, elephant, and a cat out of towels, you might be ready to learn some other shapes or even invent your own. In bathrooms, bedrooms, and beyond, towel art is something that anyone can enjoy. Whether it's cute, quirky, or classy, there's a shape to suit your style.