Bridal Shower Gift: Towel Cake {Craft Tutorial}
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‘Tis the season for wedding showers and I have one that I’m co-hosting with some wonderful women I call sisters (whether it’s by law or not). My mom wasn’t able to attend the event so she sent her gift along with me and when I saw a bag full of towels I knew there was a centerpiece waiting to happen. I don’t bake like the amazing Emilie here at Baby Loving Mama (or her other blog Oh My Sugar High) so this is likely the only cake you’ll see from me!
Our lovely bride registered for beautiful green towels and the big event’s theme is green and pink. With the exception of the towels themselves, I got all of my supplies at my local dollar store making this an affordable option to beautify any event.
Materials:
- 2 bath towels
- 2 hand towels
- 2 washcloths
- 1 dowel rod -OR- 5 pencils
- Ribbon
- Pins (straight or safety)
- Silk or real flowers
- (Optional) Wire garland
- (Optional) Home/kitchen/bath accessories (Used here: 1 new roll of toilet paper, 2 bars of boxed soap)
- (Optional) Cake topper
Directions:
- Take your large bath towels and fold them in half lengthwise twice. (You can adjust your layer height by how you fold them – thirds, fourths etc.). You’ll have a long narrow towel.
- Roll the first towel (as if you’re rolling up a sleeping bag).
- Take your second bath towel and roll it around the first the same way (Tip: Some people use a straight pin to adhere the first towel to the second but I found it unnecessary if you overlap the seam).
- Pin the lose end into the roll. You can use long straight pins but I chose large safety pins (I’ll be traveling 2 hours in the car with the cake and didn’t want to risk it coming apart. The ribbons will cover this area and they’ll be in the back of the cake).
- Insert a dowel rod into the center of the rolled towels -OR- in a pinch I’ve used three pencils set in a triangle for support. The dowel rod should be long enough to reach the top layer of towels -OR- the pencils will connect the bottom and middle layers
- Take one hand towel folded lengthwise twice. Wrap it around one new roll of toilet paper. Wrap your second hand towel around this and pin in the back as you did the first layer.
- Stack the middle layer onto the first layer by placing the hole of the toilet paper over the dowel rod -OR- sticking the pencils up into the spaces of the middle layer of towels.
- Now to build the top layer. Stack two soap boxes on either side of the dowel rod -OR- centered on the middle layer if you’re using pencils. (*See decorating alternatives to the soap below)
- Take one washcloth folded lengthwise twice and wrap it around the soap boxes. Wrap your second washcloth around this and pin in the back as you did on the first and second layers.
- If you’re using pencils, stick two down through the top layer into the middle layer securing the top two layers together
Decorate!
Here’s where the creative in you shines. The skies the limit! If you’re doing a kitchen themed party you can replace the bars of soap in the top layer with utensils (wire wisk, spatula, spoon, cork screw) and leave them sticking out of the top. Place additional utensils around the cake sticking out of the towels. You could even have recipe cards sticking out or baking supplies.
- Take your ribbon and wrap it around each layer of your cake. I tie a square knot on the back and leave the ribbons hanging in the back to hide the pins and seems. You could also tie bows, cut them short, or even use straight pins for a clean look. Use as many layers of ribbons as you’d like. One wide ribbon with a thinner ribbon layered on top looks very pretty.
- I found a wire garland in the wedding section of the dollar store so I wrapped that around my ribbon for some added interest and texture.
- Cut your silk flowers at the base of each wired flower -OR- use real flowers if you’re able to make it the day of the event.
- Bend the end of the wire flowers or wrap with tape to keep the sharp ends from damaging the towels (or the bride!)
- Insert the flowers between the layers in groups and into the top if you don’t have other items there.
- You could even put a traditional cake topper on to finish it off.
- Have fun with it and think of your bride-to-be to add personal touches.
* Check back soon for the sequels to this post: No-Sew Bridal Veil and Baby Shower Gift Diaper Cake
Love this, so creative! A great way to gift towels!
That is so creative! I think I want to try this as a gift. I bet a blue/white one would look nice.
These are pretty. They could be do the towels in any color that they like with their favorite flowers in them. How creative is this . i have seen and made diaper cakes before. . This is a nice gift for a shower. They can use the towels in there home when done. Thanks for the tutorial for how to make them
I love this! What a fun and creative idea, thanks for sharing!
I love that ideal,never heard of it before,only with diapers,now I have a pretty gift ideal the next time I go to a shower
What a cute idea! Like others, I have seen the diaper cake many times. This would make a fun gift!
That is sooo cool, in fact I have never heard of such a cake before. It looks fantastic!
This is such a wonderful idea! We have pamper/diaper cakes at baby showers why not a towel cake at bridal showers! Very Cool! I can see this becoming very popular at bridal showers and the 1st niece of mine that gets married (probably soon) I’m going to make her one like this! Thanks for sharing :)))
How beautiful and creative!
Thank you so much for sharing such great idea!!
What an adorable craft, I love this so much. Thank you for sharing it with us.