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How to Make Towel Animals Fit for a Cruise

Staff
Cruise Critic

Last updated
May 11, 2020

Read time
3 min read

Is there anything as joyful and pure as a cruise ship towel animal? Luckily, you don't need to be on a cruise to unlock the magic of how to make towel animals.

We spoke to three Carnival Cruise Line stateroom stewards -- with a combined 37 years of experience in making towel animals -- about the art of towel-folding and which animals are the most popular. It turns out that puppies and elephants are perennial favorites, along with the cheeky monkey. Animals with whiskers seem the hardest to make; a mouse was voted the most difficult towel animal to master, followed by a cat and rabbit.

When asked about favorite towel animal goofs, Carnival room steward Johnny Orlando admitted, "When making a penguin, which is my favorite towel animal creation, at first it doesn't look like a penguin -- it looks like a chicken without legs (laughing)." Fellow room steward Komang Wahyu Ciptaning and assistant stewardess Mary Ann Repil both admitted to giving their towel animal monkeys faces that looked more like a dogs when they tried them for the first time.

But practice makes perfect. If you've ever sailed on a Carnival cruise, you know that awesome morning when passengers wake up to a pool deck takeover of towlies. How long does that take, you might wonder? All three stewards agreed the transformation happens in just five to 10 minutes!

Perfect your own favorite towel animal with the following tutorials from the towel animal experts at Carnival Cruise Line. You'll have a mini-zoo full of new, slightly starched friends in no time.

On This Page

How to Make a Towel Swan

Body and head (large and medium towels)

  1. Latch large towel onto a hook, and tightly roll both sides into the center.

  2. Fold almost 3/4 backwards, and set the point up as the mouth.

  3. Spread the medium towel over the body. Then tuck two corners into the front of the body.

  4. Pick the center up, and put the rest underneath to make it stand.

How to Make a Towel Elephant

Body (large towel)

  1. Fold the towel lengthwise, two inches from the top and bottom.

  2. Roll widthwise tightly into the center from both edges.

  3. Fold in half to make four rolls, and place in a standing position.

Head (medium towel)

  1. Place the center of the towel on a hook; then roll both sides toward the middle.

  2. Pull the front flap as the forehead, and pull both corners down to form the ears.

  3. Hold tightly, and roll the long ends backward as the trunk. Place the head on the body.

How to Make a Towel Bunny

Body (large towel)

  1. Roll widthwise tightly into the center from both edges.

  2. Fold the towel in half, joining the four rolled edges together.

  3. Pull out the center of each roll to form the body; hold on tight.

Head (medium towel)

  1. Fold the towel in half widthwise, and fold it over again.

  2. Pull the bottom corners up from both sides toward the center to form a kite shape.

  3. Tuck the bottom point under; then roll tightly from both sides.

  4. Pull the front flap down for the forehead, and pull the ears straight up. Adjust the mouth, and place the head on the body.

How to Make a Towel Dog

Body (large towel)

  1. Roll widthwise tightly into the center from both edges.

  2. Fold the towel in half, joining the four rolled edges together.

  3. Pull out the center of each roll to form the body; hold on tight.

Tail (washcloth)

  1. Roll tightly like a tail, and place it into the bottom part of the body. Flip the body over to the sitting position.

Head (medium towel)

  1. Fold the towel in half lengthwise; pull the top corners toward the center to form a kite shape.

  2. Tuck the bottom point under, and roll both edges toward the center.

  3. Pull the flap down to form the forehead, and pull out flaps as long ears. Place the head on the body.

How to Make a Towel Bear

Body (large towel)

  1. Roll widthwise tightly into the center from both edges.

  2. Fold the towel in half, joining the four rolled edges together.

  3. Pull out the center of each roll to form the body; hold on tight.

Head (medium towel)

  1. Fold the towel into three folds widthwise. Pull the corners down toward the center to form a triangle; roll tightly to the center.

  2. Pull down front flap to cover half of the nose; pull small edges from back as the ears.

  3. Tuck the pointed side as the mouth, and place it into the top part of the body. Flip the body over to the sitting position.


Did you tackle the towel animal challenge with tutorials above? If so, we'd love to see the results. Post your attempts on social media with the hashtag #cruisecritic, or share your photos in the Cruise Critic message boards' "Towel Animal Takeover" member gallery

Publish date May 11, 2020
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