Diaper cakes are fun ways to celebrate baby showers by taking baby supplies (toys, blankets, actual diapers, etc.) and presenting them in tiers of carefully and intricately wrapped diapers to represent a multi-tiered cake, a display that will be remembered for a long time!
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The mother to be will be impressed, it will be an amazing gift for all involved, and it’s surprisingly simple to make!
Contents
How to Make a Diaper Cake
Supplies
In order to make a diaper cake, you will need a few things. First, the obvious: diapers. You will want size-two diapers, as they’re the ones most often used for babies.
Infants quickly outgrow the newborn diapers, so the larger-sized ones will be more useful to the parents in the long run.
You will need at least sixty for the cake. You will also want thick, high-quality cardboard to act as stability for the overall structure of the cake.
After this, collect:
- Washcloths or teething blankets.
- At least ten more rubber bands than diapers, plus three extra-large rubber bands.
- An empty paper towel roll.
- A pencil.
- A roll of two-inch ribbon.
- Double-sided tape.
- A cake topper.
- Baby toiletries, as well as toys for decoration.
Once you have these all together, it is time to begin construction.
Steps to Make a Diaper Cake
Step 1: Rolling the Diapers
You will want to start by rolling every diaper into a tight cylinder, making sure to secure each by wrapping a single rubber band around the center.
It will seem a little bit tedious at first, but the completed product will make it worthwhile. You will also want to roll the washcloths so that they’re around the same size, securing them in the same way.
You will use these to form the top of the cake, resulting in a much fancier look!
Step 2: Layering the Cake
Starting with the first tier, take the paper towel roll and begin placing diapers around it in a tight circle.
You will then place another circle of diapers, then a third, before placing the first extra-large rubber band around the entire tier.
You will likely use around 36 of your diapers here, depending on how tightly you wrap and bound them.
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Next, place this tier on top of the cardboard and cut out a circle at its perimeter. This will act as a stabilizer and allow for easier shaping with the rest of the cake.
The second layer will be smaller than the first, likely using around 18 diapers rather than the initial 36, following the same model as the first layer.
Wrap the diapers tight and secure with rubber bands before topping with the empty rolls, all bound with the final giant rubber band.
At this point, the basic construction is complete, and you have your cake! Though, it is rather bland looking, which brings you to the next step: Decoration.
Step 3: Decorations
You will want to begin with the ribbon. Take the length of ribbon, wrapping it tightly around the rubber bands, making sure to keep them hidden.
Make sure it’s consistent, wrapping each layer but still showing the diaper behind. Once you have achieved that, adorn the outside with simple additions; flowers, butterflies, or small toys for the baby.
The most important decoration is the topper; you will want a large plush toy, something that the baby will be able to snuggle up against.
One good example is a plush lamb or lion, something that could provide the child with either calm or security. The softer, the better, in this case.
As for the smaller toys, you will want one of two varieties; things for teething that make a lot of noise, such as plastic keys and the like, or smaller plush toys.
This can include little bears, cutesy monsters, things along those lines that would get the child’s attention and make them smile.
The whole point of the cake is to create something that makes the baby and their parent(s) happy, so exercise your creativity.
What is their design theme for the nursery? What toys did the parents have as children? The more creative you are, the more touching the final cake will be.
Here’s a video showing how to make a diaper cake that’s jungle themed.
Conclusion
In addition to providing the parents with several useful supplies for the future (diapers and teething toys are crucial when you need them!), a diaper cake is meant to bring joy to those who receive it in celebration of new coming life.
It can be simple or extravagant, but the point is: it’s a gift. You will want it to fit the party as best as it can, adhering to the theme and colors placed by the host, but also putting your own creative spin on it.
Ultimately, it all boils down to your instincts. You will want to go with what feels right, because in the end, the parents will appreciate the amount of work and effort that went into creating it.
Have you tried making a diaper cake?
