towel elephant

The towel elephant, the one that started it all.  Once on Thanksgiving I posted a picture of a towel turkey on facebook.  Then Lauren of Australia (who does not understand about Thanksgiving, being Australian and all) posted a picture of a towel elephant, saying it trumped my turkey.  I put up a poll about that, and after it kept getting a ton of google hits from people wanting to know how to fold towel animals, I decided I needed to write a blog about it, even though I wasn’t very good at it at the time.  I’ve learned a lot more now, partly from the videos we made on our last cruise, but mainly from dissecting them into steps for these blogs.

 What You Need to Make a Towel Elephant

Supplies needed: One bath towel, One hand towel, eyes (which can be paper, felt, googly eyes, whatever works.)

How to Fold a Towel Elephant Body

Start with the bath towel.  This one does not take the standard body so many of the other animals use.

Lay the bath towel flat, and fold the long sides over a few inches

Lay the bath towel out flat and fold a few inches over on both long sides.

one side rolled to the middle

both sides rolled to the middle

Roll both ends into the middle.

fold rolled towel in half and stand for elephant body

Fold in half with rolls to the outside and stand up for a body with four sturdy round legs.

How to Make a Towel Elephant Head

hand towel hanging on a wall hook

Using the hand towel, either tuck a bit of the center of one long side under your chin, or hang it on a hook or peg on the wall if you have one available.

Roll both sides at the same time. Photo only shows one because my other hand was on the camera.

Roll both sides toward the middle so it ends up somewhat triangular with two rolls.

rolled towel

If you have a good imagination, it resembles a paper airplane at this stage.

turn it over to fold down the middle bit for the forehead

Turn rolled towel over and fold the middle part at the wide end down to make the forehead.  Then pull the ends of the rolls out to each side to shape into ears.

pull the side bits into ears

curl the tip of the trunk and shape the ears as desired

Curl the pointy end into a trunk.  Position trunk as desired.

Shape the ears, place onto the elephant body and decorate with eyes.  For a sturdier, more portable elephant head you can safety pin the rolls together on the back, or run a pipe cleaner around it under the fold.

finished towel elephant

Now you have a finished towel elephant.

Towel Turtle in Carnival Liberty Atrium Elevator

Coming up next in this towel animal folding series:  TOWEL TURTLE

Click this link for instructions on how to fold a variety of other towel animals.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2012