By folding our towel/washcloth sets into decorative shapes we create a more hospitable experience, reminiscent of a cruise line or hotel. The compact shape also makes it easier for the shower-cleaning team to quickly grab and place the set.

These instructions show you how to assemble a towel “candle.” You might want to take a washcloth and towel home so you can practice.

Don’t forget to disinfect your hands and/or put on gloves before you begin.

1. Start with a washcloth.

Lay it out flat in a diamond shape so that the tag is at one of the side corners.

(Some washcloths will not have tags, and that’s okay.)

2. Fold the washcloth along the horizontal diagonal so as to make a triangle.
3. Fold the left corner over part-way, like this.
4. Starting at the left edge, roll the washcloth into a tight cylinder.
5. Roll it along the bottom edge.

The bottom edge of the cylinder remains flat, while the top is tapered to a point.

6. The bottom of one of the large towel bin lids is a good, clean working surface for this.

As a bonus, it has little notches along the outside edge that hold these little rolled-up washcloths perfectly.

7. So you can do a bunch of these and keep them handy for the next step.
8. Now take one of the larger towels and fold it nearly in half so as to form an even square.

Most towels are less than twice as long as they are wide, so the top and bottom edges won’t meet exactly.

9. Fold the towel along one of the diagonals (it doesn’t matter which one) to make a triangle.
10. Fold under the bottom inch and a half or so, parallel to the diagonal.
11. Fold down the top corner so that the peak meets the top of the seam you folded under in the previous step.
12. Take one of the washcloth cylinders and place it like so.

The flat end is flush against the top of the seam you folded under in step #10.

It meets the top edge of the towel where the top corner begins its fold.

13. Fold the left side of the towel over the right side, so as to sandwich the washcloth.
14. From left to right, begin to roll the whole assembly into a tight cylinder
15. And keep rolling until only the stub on the right is loose
16. Then tuck that stub into the seam created by the fold you made in step #10.

You now have a completed towel candle