I don’t know about you but it seems like EVERYONE around me is pregnant. I have had to attend quite a few baby showers recenly, with more invites pending. I decided it was time to get creative with my gifts. I search online, and in galleries to find some new ideas that I could make for the Mom-to-be.
One of my favorite ideas I found was a diaper cake. This is not a new concept, but I decided it was a whole lot more fun that just handing the Mom-to-be a pack of diapers. After many searches online I found a few variations on how to make them. This tutorial is how I made them.
Supplies:
1 1/2 packs of Pampers Swaddlers (because they are almost completely white)
1 bottle of baby powder
1 4 oz baby bottle
lots of rubber bands
a platter or piece of cardboard for the base
printed out digital papers & elements (I used Land Of Nod by Dani)
Step 1 – Roll the diapers
The idea is to roll the diapers so that only white is showing. To do this open the diaper flat. Start and the end with the printed strip and roll tightly, then secure with a rubber band. I found that occasionally I had to tuck some bits of yellow back into the roll. Repeat this with the rest of the diapers. I used a little less than 1 1/2 packs of the size 1 swaddlers or roughly 65-70 diapers.
Step 2 – Assembling the layers
To make the bottom layer we are going to start with the bottle of baby powder in the center of your platter or cardboard. There is no need to secure the baby powder to the surface, but you may want to if there will be a lot of traveling with the cake before the shower.
To begin place a large rubberband around the baby powder. Then take your rolled diapers and slip them behind the rubberband, making a circle around the baby powder. Add another rubberband around that circle and repeat to make 3 rings of diapers. On the outside ring be sure that only white is showing and that the diaper ends are all towards the middle and not facing out.
The second layer is the same as the first going around the baby powder, but only making 2 rings of diapers. After you complete the second layer use some double stick tape or glue dots to attach the baby bottle to the top of the baby powder. You want them secured together, but not taped so much the Mom-to-be can’t get them apart.
Use the baby bottle just like you did the baby powder and make one final ring of diapers. Depending on the baby powder & bottle you may have a bit of the bottle sticking up. I did, but I just covered it later in the decorating portion.
Step 3 – Decorate.
I printed out a few sheets of paper from Dani’s Land Of Nod kit. This diaper cake was for a little girl and I did not know how the mom was decorating the nursery, so I went a little more generic with my papers and elements. I printed a solid pink and one of the striped papers. Using a piece of scratch paper I decided I wanted to make my paper bands 2″ in diameter. To add interest I added a 1″ band of the contrasting paper on top of the 2″ band. Because this isn’t anything that will be saved I just used a little 3M paper glue to attach my strips together to form a long enough strip to go around the diaper layer. I did need assistance from my boyfriend to hold the strip in place while I glued the end down. It is very important to NOT attach anything to the diapers directly. Any tape or glue on the diaper will make them useless to the Mom-to-be.
After I covered all 3 layers with the paper I had fun and added the elements that I cut out from Land of Nod. I had various stars and then the blocks that spelled out “baby”. I also added a few bows that I made with some of my ribbon stash.
To cover the top of my cake I decided to just make a paper bow and add some curling ribbon. You can add other items like stuffed animals or flowers depending on your theme as well.
Since this was a gift and I had also purchased a little outfit for the baby I made a matching gift bag. I bought a plain white gift bag at the dollar store. I used my leftover papers and elements to make a decorated front on the bag
I have relisted the auction