Just as a sphere is modelled by a balloon (if we imagine the 'skin' of the balloon is infinitely thin), the shape of a torus is given by another familiar object, the inner tube (Here again we need to imagine the rubber of the inner tube is infinitely thin).

One also commonly refers to the torus as "the surface of a donut".
Of course, some may prefer to define the torus shape as "the surface of a bagel.

The torus has even been made into sculpture.