Creating a diaper cake for a baby shower is a wonderful gift that is unique, decorative, and useful. It’s simple to make if you have the right supplies. I will give you step by step instructions to create a beautiful centerpiece that doubles as a gift for the expectant mother, father, and little one.
You can make a diaper cake up to four layers high. But the first step is to decide on a theme or a color. If the mom already has her theme picked out, your quest is easy. Start by gathering ribbon and small items such as pacifiers, small toys, washcloths, onesies, bottles, rattles, and stuffed animals. The top of your cake is the main focus. If you are going with a theme, this is where a medium sized item should be placed. I’ve seen some people decorate it with flowers or baby booties rolled to look like flowers.
Here is the supply list:
1. About fifty size 1 or 2 diapers. The amount will depend on the size of your cake.
2. Clear rubber bands or curling ribbon.
3. Decorative ribbon.
4. Double sided tape or glue dots.
5. Three cardboard bases for a three layer cake. One 12 inch, one 10 inch, and one 8 inch.
The first step to creating your cake is to roll a diaper. Once it is rolled, tie a rubber band or curling ribbon around it to secure it. You don’t want to use anything that will destroy the diaper so the mom can use the diapers for their intended purpose later. This roll will be the center. Some creators like to use a baby bottle for the center, so this is also an option. Now, just start rolling your diapers. Place the rolled diapers around your center diaper or bottle and secure it with ribbon. Do the same thing around that layer. You now have your bottom tier. Each subsequent tier is constructed the same way except you use less layers or smaller diapers.
This technique has a scalloped look around the cake. Some cake decorators like a smooth look around the cake. You can achieve this by layering diapers around the rolls. My favorite is covering this layer with washcloths, baby towels, and onesies to give it a colorful and themed appearance. You can tie these gifts in place with ribbon or lace. I would suggest tying the curling ribbon to secure the layers then using double sided tape to secure the decorative ribbon to the curling ribbon.
You can place the layer directly on the cardboard, but I prefer to decorate this too. I have used bibs to line the bases but you can use doilies to make it fancier. Use the cardboard bases in between layers for stability.
If all that rolling doesn’t sound appealing to you, there is a simpler version that works just as well for a one layer cake. You need six disposable diapers, one receiving blanket, an eight inch cardboard base, an eight ounce baby bottle, a themed bib, straight pins, and five to ten small baby items.
Wrap the diapers around the baby bottle to form the cake. Fold the receiving blanket so that it is about five inches wide. Wrap the diapers with the receiving blanket and secure with straight pins. Fold the bib so that it is the front of the cake and secure with straight pins. Put the baby items in the folds of the diapers. If this is not going to be a centerpiece for the shower, then you can wrap it in clear cellophane and tie with a decorative bow.
There are several websites that display pictures of cakes to help you get decorating ideas. Creative-baby-shower-ideas.com has a diaper cake gallery sent in by their readers. You can also buy online video directions from howtomakeadiapercake.com. With your membership you also get a workbook, supply list, and money saving ideas. Diaper cakes are a wonderful shower gift. They are easy to create and are incredibly useful to the new mom. If you are like me, though, I still have my diaper cake wrapped up as a memento of my baby shower and wonderful family and friends.
