How to make a diaper cake

I’m happy to welcome a special guest poster – the wonderfully talented Carrie of Four Eyed Girlie! Carrie is a graphic designer (like me!) and one very crafty gal. Today she’s going to show us how to make a beautiful and easy-to-assemble diaper cake!

Carrie says, “Because I’m a momma myself who appreciates practical things now more than ever, I really enjoy gifting diaper cakes. There are lots of variations on the diaper cake out there, but most are: pretty cheesy. I worked with a woman years ago who taught me how to make gorgeous diaper cakes, and they always turn out cool and pretty darn impressive. It’s fun to play with different ribbons and colors to create a different look for each one. I also like to add a pair of shoes to it as the ‘cake topper.’ Want to make your own? Of course you do! It’s not hard, I promise. Here’s my little ‘how-to’ for you!”

Here are the supplies you’ll need:

– 60 diapers (I use Pampers Swaddlers, size 2. These diapers seems to have the fewest pre-printed designs on them.)
– Lots of rubber bands
– 2 paper clips
– Ribbon
– Artificial flowers with stems – these are black gerbera daisies
– 14″ round cardboard cake board
– 1 yard of white tulle
– A hot glue gun and/or double-sided tape
– Baby Converse sneakers

1. Roll one diaper, with the pre-printed design facing inwards, and wrap a rubber band around it. This diaper will be the “core” that all of the diapers are stacked and layered around.

2. Make a stack of 5 diapers, spaced out equally, one on top of the other.

3. Take the stack and wrap it around the “core” diaper. Use a rubber band to secure.

4. Keep enlarging your diaper roll using more stacks of 5 diapers each time. Secure the new diapers with a rubber band between each new addition. Grow the stack until it’s about 12″ in diameter, so it will fill most of your 14″ cake board base.

Follow steps 1-4 a second time to create a second tier for the cake that is slightly smaller than the first tire.

Carrie usually uses about 30-35 diapers for the larger bottom layer, and about 20-25 diapers for the top layer. Diaper count will vary depending on how much spacing there is between diapers.

5. Stack the cake tiers and wrap your ribbon around the center of each to hide the rubber bands. Cut ribbon to appropriate length.

6. Use a paperclip to attach one end of the ribbon to the rubber band – this will keep the ribbon in place without damaging any of the diapers. Attach double-sided tape to the other end of the ribbon and wrap around to close.

7. Once the ribbon is centered and secured, cut the flowers off their stems. Feed the stem through the center of diaper cake layers. This will keep the layers in place so they don’t separate. Cut any excess stem length from the top so that the top of the stem is flush with the top of the cake.

8. Use a hot glue gun to attach your flowers to the ribbon and to cover the area where the ribbon is attached. When gluing on the flowers, place your hand behind the ribbon to keep the glue from leaking through to the diapers and damaging them. (Be careful, because the glue will be hot!)

Once your cake is fully assembled, center it on the cake board and place your shoes on top. If you don’t want to use shoes, you can add more flowers, a baby toy, or whatever else the mother-to-be might like. Carrie says, “I love Chucks, and because this particular baby has a daddy who lives in his Converse, I knew this cake had to have a tiny pair!”

Now you’re ready to wrap the cake! Place the diaper cake on top of the tulle, and gather it at the top. Use a rubber band to secure the tulle once you’ve got it wrapped perfectly. Cover the rubber band by tying a thin ribbon overtop. You can also attach a round rattle for an extra little touch.

Thanks again to Carrie for sharing her awesome diaper cake tutorial with us today! You can visit Carrie at Four Eyed Girlie. May I recommend her beer and pretzel cupcakes? : )

Or for more baby shower ideas, click here!