Turn an everyday item into a beautiful gift
I love hosting. Whether it’s a casual morning coffee, a dinner party with friends, or a weekend visit from Mom and Dad, it’s always a joy for me to welcome people into our home. Of course, that entails thoughtful preparation — and sometimes frantic cleaning at the last minute! (Check out this post on how I try to avoid that nightmare). But one thing I’ve discovered is that much more important than a pristine house or a gourmet meal to flatter guests are small details of affection. Enter, the folded towel set.
Why fold a towel set?
This can seem like an insignificant chore — why not just grab an extra towel and hang it on the hook in the guest bathroom? That works, and most people will thank you for providing the clean towel. At the same time, this is a prime opportunity to go the extra mile without spending a dime. Creating a beautifully folded towel set takes just little effort but has a big impact. It sends the message to guests that their host took time (even if just a few minutes) to present them their towels with a touch of beauty. In that way, it becomes not just a tool but a gift.
Folding towels in sets also has the practical benefit of making towels easier to store and to find. Compactly folded towels take up less room in my linen closet, and at a moment’s notice, I can pull a set off the shelf and park it in the guest room with a spare bar of soap, waiting to welcome its user.
For that reason, why stop at guest towels? This approach works for any kind of towel, fancy or plain, it and can be a great way to bring order and simplicity to the linen closet whenever anyone at home needs fresh towels. After all, we all know how luxurious it feels to walk into a hotel bathroom with fresh and folded towels. Everyone loves that little detail of attention and care. If we can recreate that at home without a fuss, why not?
No decor? No problem
Some towel sets have decorations on one end, just begging to be featured. It could be a colored patterns, a monogram, or other embroidery. But even a plain white towel set can be brought to the next level with a little creativity. Wrap the set in a colorful ribbon or leave a chocolate kiss or mint on the set. You can also mix and match towels — pair a white full-sized towel with a red or green hand towel and washcloth, and suddenly we have a seasonal effect!
Step-by-Step
A standard towel set usually consists of one full-sized towel, one hand towel, and one washcloth. There are several ways to fold them into an attractive bundle — and really, whatever method you find that’s easy and appealing, go for it! Here’s how I like to fold my guest towels to store them neatly together and also to feature the decorations:
1. Begin with the three pieces folded in thirds lengthwise, with all decorations facing the same direction. I like to work on a large, flat surface, such as a bed or dining room table.
2. Flip the towels over lengthwise so that they are lying face down, folded side up. The decorations (if there are any) should still all be pointing in the same direction — following the photo here, to the left.
3. Place the smallest towel on top of the medium towel so that their short ends meet.
4. Fold the “extra” length of medium towel over the small towel.
5. Fold in the small towel over the medium towel. (Now we can see the first pretty bird decoration here!) Place this little bundle on the large towel, about six inches away from the decorative end. (Again, if there are decorations, they should be facing the same direction on the medium and large towels).
6. Fold in the right side of the large towel so that it almost meets the small/medium bundle. (I always eyeball it, but the fold is usually about a quarter of the length of the large towel).
7. Fold that same end of the large towel in again, over the small towel. The decoration is now covered.
8. Fold in the medium towel. Hello, decoration number two!
9. Finally, fold the remaining length of the large towel over the rest of the bundle.
Voila! A nicely folded towel set. (Just for fun, try unpacking the whole thing as if you were the guest receiving the set — isn’t it nice to see the layers of decoration come out to meet you as you go?)
Not only does this little folding process yield a pretty result, but I also find it incredibly satisfying. There’s something about keeping things tidy and in order that creates a sense of harmony, peace, and beauty. I hope you find that as well!
