When you enter your hotel room after an arduous journey – or a day spent frolicking by the pool – you’re likely to be greeted by a batch of fresh towels, neatly folded and ready for you.
Depending on where you’re staying, you might find your hotel, cruise liner or B&B has taken things a step further, crafting the kind of swan-shaped towel formation popular at honeymoon-friendly destinations.
You might quietly chuckle to yourself at the design, or even take a quick snap to send to friends back home.
However, if you’re subject to some of the adorable, creative designs curated by one expert towel artist, you might well request another towel, just so you can keep your new fluffy friend intact.
Monique Sheena Platon, originally from the Philippines, works on board the Marella Discovery ship, part of Marella Cruises, as a cabin steward.
Monique spoke to the Daily Mail about her artistic work on board the vessel – and shared a sneak peek behind the scenes of the secret art of towel twisting on cruise ships.
Toad-ally cool: Towel artist Monique’s frog is one of her standout designs – and she shares a tutorial with the Daily Mail on how to put it together
Twists and turns: Monique shares what goes on behind the designs she creates, having racked up quite the portfolio
A romantic classic: The swan is an essential romantic part of the repertoire, popular at honeymoon-friendly destinations
She’s been a part of the team since 2019, and in seven years she’s racked up quite the portfolio – with swans, bunnies and even crocodiles all part of her regular towel repertoire.
Monique said: ‘I like to make the passengers smile – every time they come back to their room, and see a new towel shape, they become even happier.’
Naturally, over time Monique has had to master all of the classics. She can make swans, for instance – ideal for honeymoons or romantic trips.
She delights in taking things a step further though – making things guests won’t expect.
She says: ‘The best shapes are the ones you don’t see often.’
Passengers on board love her dog-shaped designs, as well as crabs, her mouse design and the more complex designs.
Which is the most difficult of all?
‘The crocodile,’ Monique reveals. ‘It requires a lot of towels – two hand towels and a bath mat at least. One person needs to roll out the towels.
‘We save this for special occasions, like birthdays.’
Perhaps most impressive of all is Monique’s speed. The longer, more complicated designs – including the crocodile – take her just three to five minutes if she’s working on her own.
Croc-n-roll: The complex crocodile design is one that often surprises guests but is the most complicated to make
No bunny compares to you: Perhaps the cutest design is the tiny bunny rabbit, one of Monique’s fastest designs
Ribbit! How to make a towel frog in under 3 minutes… Fold the large towel in half, then roll it into the centre – before folding the towel tube in halfSee more Daily Mail on Google – save us as a Preferred SourcePull the corners of the towel – before tugging them out to create the frog’s bodyThe head involves folding the small towel into triangles, and then attaching the two parts together to build the frog’To make it look like a real frog, we put eyes on it.’
The small, speedy designs can take as little as 15 seconds.
For example, the small bunny design, or spider, can be put together within a matter of seconds.
And while guests are usually entertained by her designs, some like to have their own fun.
Monique shares: ‘In terms of funny stories, sometimes it’s amusing because guests guess the designs wrong.
‘They think a dog is a penguin, for example. Sometimes, the guests also like to play with us – someone will put shoes under the bed and drape a towel so it looks like there is someone hiding under the bed!
‘Or they’ll even place a towel so that it looks like there’s someone on the toilet.’
To hone her skills and master her craft, Monique has worked her way up through the ranks, starting in housekeeping. While you might think she’s had some artistic training to create her towel designs, it’s actually all down to her.
Monique explains: ‘Visual learning is the best way to learn towel art. I use YouTube videos to learn new designs.’
Step-by-step guide: The towel artist shares her tips for building your own designs including through visual learning
Bear-y clever: The adorable little bear is another of the artist’s works
Eek! The spider design is one of the more unconventional options
Indeed, nowadays social media is awash with tutorials on towel designs.
You can find everything from a folded swan to a monkey, and she’s keen to emphasise that while guests love her genius designs, they are not impossible for people to recreate at home.
Monique’s happy to share advice with budding towel artists.
She even shared an exclusive tutorial with the Daily Mail, showing how to make her highly coveted frog design.
If you’re keen to give it a try, Monique advises starting small, with simple flannel designs – before you progress through the ranks to join her level of towel artistry.
In the clip, she shows that you need a big towel for the body, and hand towel for the head.
Fold the large towel in half, then roll it into the centre – before folding the towel tube in half. She then demonstrates how you pull the corners of the towel out – before tugging them out to create the frog’s body.
The head involves folding the small towel into various triangles, and then attaching the two parts together to build the frog – in less than three minutes.
She explains: ‘To make it look like a real frog, we put eyes on it.’
But rest assured, the shape is sufficiently obvious even without the googly eyes.
Gone are the days when fancy folded frog-shaped towels were reserved for your holiday.
Now, you can enjoy them from the comfort of your own home, too.
Source link
CHECK OUT: Top Travel Destinations
READ MORE: Travel News
