Directions on How to Make a Diaper Cake

Diaper cakes are popular at baby showers.

Diaper cakes have become a common sight at baby showers. Diaper cakes are functional centerpieces that resemble a cake, and are meant to decorate a baby shower while also providing the expecting parents with a practical gift. Their popularity has led to a trend of crafters selling custom diaper cakes, from $65 to $125 each. Whether you want to give an expecting parent a small or large diaper cake, it is fairly easy to make a custom one on your own.

Things You'll Need

• 38 diapers
• 1/4-inch-wide spool of ribbon
• 1/2-inch-wide spool of ribbon
• 25 small rubber bands
• 25 large rubber bands
• Round bottle of baby shampoo or lotion
• Cardboard cake round
• Serving platter
• Assorted baby accessories

Instructions

1. Visit your local department, toy store or baby supply store and purchase embellishments for your diaper cake. Typical decorations include rattles, pacifiers, baby toiletries and stuffed animals. You will also need to get half-inch and quarter-inch spools of ribbon in the colors of your choice from a fabric, craft or hobby supply store.

2. Unfold 18 diapers and roll them up tightly, securing each with a small rubber band.

3. Place the cardboard cake round on a serving platter, and put the bottle of baby lotion or shampoo in the middle. Surround the bottle with six rolled-up diapers, and secure the entire ring with one large rubber band. This is the first ring of the diaper cake.

4. Surround the first ring with 12 more rolled diapers. Secure this second ring to the first with another large rubber band.

5. Unfold 20 more diapers, and roll them tightly just like the first 18. Secure each separate diaper with a piece of quarter-inch wide ribbon.

6. Put all 20 of the ribbon-tied diapers around the second ring, and secure them to the first and second rings by tying a half-inch ribbon around the entire tier. You should now have a diaper cake with about a 14-inch circumference.

7. Repeat steps 2-6 if you wish to have more tiers, but leave the bottle of baby shampoo or lotion out of additional tiers. The core of your subsequent tiers should be a three tightly rolled diapers, secured with a large rubber band. Diaper cakes can have any number of tiers. Stack each tier on top of one another.

8. Embellish each tier with baby accessories. You can tuck them into the folds of the diapers or secure them to the diaper cake with ribbons. It is common for a diaper cake to be topped off with a stuffed animal or baby bottle.

References

• Plan the Perfect Baby Shower: How to Make a Diaper Cake