At every special occasion or every holiday where gifts are given, we often find ourselves wondering what the perfect gift may be. It becomes even more complicated if you want a gift that is personalized, specifically for that person or their needs. Instead of rushing out to the nearest store, why not consider getting or making a one-of-a-kind towel cake? This gift is fun, personal, and 100% useful.
What is a Towel Cake?
A towel cake is a gift that is very similar to a gift basket, but more unique. These creations are made of towels but feature both décor and usable items. Each one is lovingly wrapped and stuffed with select items to match that occasion or that person. They make fantastic centerpieces at wedding receptions but are also perfect when given as a gift at a baby shower. Know someone who is having a birthday? A cake is always welcomed, but yours can have special gifts inside as well.
DIY Towel Cakes
There are many people selling towel cakes online. You can buy them, or strike out on your own and create one that is straight from the heart. All you need is three or four towels, three or four hand towels, and 2-4 wash clothes (depending on the size of your cake). You may also want to embellish it with a ribbon.
When it comes time to choose supplies, there is no limit to your choices. For a bridal shower, you may choose kitchen utensils, can openers, aprons, and other items. For a mother’s day gift, you may choose fake flowers, jewelry boxes, etc. Valentine’s Day, towels with jewelry, ribbons, bows, hearts, chocolates, balloons, or anything else.
To start creating, you lay out your towels first. Fold them so that they create a thin line of towel and then roll them up. One towel around another. This will be the first layer of your cake and the thickest part. Your hand towels will be done in the same way and create the middle layer. You can stop here or add another layer with washcloths. You will want to secure each “layer” with a ribbon, pins, or whatever else you choose.
From there, you simply put items in the cake wherever they fit. You can slide virtually anything in between the rolls. If you are planning to use it as a centerpiece, you can also create smaller bundles with other towels which can then be placed around the cake.
Please note. If you are only creating a single layer towel cake, you only need one or two towels and a platform for the creation to sit on.
Have a Little Fun!
The key to creating the perfect cake is to have fun with it. You can be as naughty or as nice as you want to when creating it. They are ideal for every occasion. Even kids will love getting a towel cake, especially if the towels are in colors that they like or feature characters that they love. Just put a little creativity in your gifts this year! Even if you do not want a huge cake, there are still creative ways to use towels in cake creation.
When it comes to baby showers, wedding receptions, and other events, we always see certain things that appear at every event. This is the food table, often with a wedding cake, shower cake, or other types of cakes somewhere nearby. Even towel cakes are popular centerpieces for a celebration’s food table. Why? They are often the largest item on the food table and add a burst of color or beauty to average, everyday food items. The effect is nice, but we say that it could be better. At your next baby shower event, why not have custom tables for the ultimate setting? The table itself can be the centerpiece.
We know that hearing what a fantastic cake you have provided is a host’s greatest compliment. However, we think that you could step it up and provide something that will take your guests by surprise. You can keep the cake if you want to, but accentuate it with something even more beautiful.
Creating a custom table is much easier than you may expect. The hardest part at times is simply choosing the right piece of wood for the job. First, you must keep in mind that ANY piece of wood can become a beautiful custom tabletop. Even a sheet of plywood can be great with the right techniques. To beautify a piece of plywood, you need stain along with a little epoxy to bring out the wood grains that are there. You can add photographs or engravings to it if you want. The key is to seal it before you apply a flood coat.
The whole idea of creating custom towel cakes for someone is the idea that it is created specifically for that person and that occasion. It gives the towel cake significance. It makes a beautiful centerpiece. Often, they are found sitting in the middle of a pile of gifts, perhaps elevated above them to show that it is there. However, we have to ask, “couldn’t other personalized items work just as well? What if the entire table was a custom piece? Is there really a reason to choose custom tables vs custom cakes?
Big picture, the towel cake is fun. It is fun to create and fun to give. A mom-to-be loves to see a diaper cake. Made with infant towels, baby diapers, bottles, bibs, and more. A bride-to-be may enjoy getting household items in her towel cake. It could be actual bathroom or dish towels along with silverware, large spoons, naughty nighties, and whatever else you feel is going to be something she will enjoy with her new husband.
Now, custom tables are different. Custom tables require a little more effort, but they are usable beyond the event. You can make a table with photographs of a couple’s beginning. The photos that were captured when they began dating, the night they got engaged, and even add in their engagement photos. For a baby shower, have the mom-to-be pose monthly for a photograph of her growing belly. You can turn those pregnancy photos into a changing table for the nursery. It will be something that mom treasures for life.
Every parent wants what is best for their baby. This is something you may want to consider when planning a baby shower for someone or giving a gift after the baby’s arrival. Most moms are choosing more organic materials and items. This is why some of the best things to use when making a towel cake is organic towel cake decorations.
There are numerous options when decorating or creating a towel cake. If you want to keep it 100% organic, you may choose to use organic baby towels, baby blankets, and baby clothing, bibs or burp cloths. All of these items will be used and loved by new parents and they will appreciate knowing that they are safe. If you want to further decorate the cake with baby-friendly items, there are still plenty of unexplored options.
Decorations around the cake will make it truly a personalized cake from you. There are many “green” baby toys including stuffed animals and wooden blocks, cars, or other things. When scattered around a cake or sitting on different tiers, it will make all the difference to how much the parents to be will love it.
In our world, there are some very talented people. People who can look at a towel and think, “I can make this beautiful if I put it into a cake.” There are also people that make outstanding bead jewelry, wood tables, and everything else. You can see their creations on websites like Etsy and eBay. These sites allow so much connection between artists and DIY-ers, but it also offers clients to consider custom options that are only available online.
Once upon a time, you had to visit craft fairs or small town festivals to see the creativity of others. It was nice and enjoyable, but you had limited choices when it came to gift-giving and such. The internet has changed the way we see crafts. It has changed the number of crafts that we have access to. It can spark imagination and allows us to meet with crafters or artisans in areas all around the world. How much easier does that make it for you to find the perfect gift for someone? Especially when you add in the potential to speak with those crafters and have them create personalized items for you, your family, and friends.
If you are a crafter, there is money to be made online. You just have to make wise choices. For instance, if you have an online business that provides a product, you need to have protection for yourself. Lawsuits and other unforeseen issues can come from selling products online. Let’s say someone buys a bead necklace from you and their child breaks it, then swallows the bead. It’s a worst-case scenario but could happen. They may come after you for help to pay for the medical expenses. To protect your online business so that you will be able to continue providing your projects, you need to be protected by an insurance agent like EM Ford Owensboro.