By RushÂ’d Lady, 2004

Steps:

1. Fold each bath towel in half twice lengthwise, smoothing folds and matching edges as evenly as possible. (As I am right-handed, I placed the second towel fold to my right, and the edges of the towel up towards my left hand, so the first towel fold lay on the table underneath.) Roll folded towel away from you tightly with both hands, keeping folded edges as even as possible. (to see illustration CLICK HERE)

When you get to the end of the towel, hold end snugly against roll and fasten with a safety pin to keep it from unrolling as you prepare the next towel. Beginning at this juncture, continue rolling towels around until first “cake layer” is completed. Tuck last end of third towel under about an inch and fasten with two safety pins. This is the back of the cake.

2. Turn cake roll over so edges of towels are up. This is the bottom of your cake layer. Begin to fasten ruffled lace at the outside edge, wiggling straight pins in at an angle to catch as many layers of toweling as possible. Rotate “cake” as you pin lace every couple of inches or so. Tuck ends of lace under & pin at back of cake. Place upright on tray.

3. At the bottom of “cake layer” in back, pin pleated ribbon just above lace ruffle to look like icing scallops with straight pins. Cut end of ribbon at back of cake & fold over.

4. Next, pin pleated ribbon to top folded edge of “cake”. Finish off as in the above step.

5. Fold & roll the three hand towels as you did in step one for the second layer of cake. Also pin the pleated ribbon around top and bottom edges of cake layer as you did in steps three & four. Set second layer of “cake” in the middle of the first layer. (Optional: Fasten the two layers together in the back with a safety pin).

6. Holding the two bushes of roses & greenery at their stems, tightly wrap them together with green floral tape. Arrange stems until they intertwine nicely & push down through center of second cake layer.

7. Pull the floral picks apart and unwrap the wedding band favors. Take one floral pick in the left hand and two gold wedding bands, wrap wire stem through and around bands a couple of times until all are fastened together. Wrap extra stem end around a pencil & pull pencil out to leave a wire spiral. Tie a tiny picot ribbon bow at base of rosebud. Make several of these “cake” decorations.

8. Turning the cake around as you go, loop picot ribbon loosely about three inches apart or so. Make even. Poke a straight pin through the center of the ribbon bow under the rosebud floral pick and into the pleated ribbon scallop “icing”. Cake is complete when ribbon loops are on both layers.

* Note: As I made this for a wedding shower decoration, I placed the cake in the center of a lace covered table with lots of greenery & two brass candlesticks which I tied extra rosebud & wedding band favors to. Everybody thought this was a “real” cake until they came in close. During the gift opening part of the shower, my gift was a box containing a matching towel, a hand towel, & four wash cloths to complete the set with a small note explaining my gift. The bride was delighted to be able to take the cake decoration home!