If you have attended a baby shower recently or if you have had your own baby shower you have probably seen an adorable baby diaper cake.
courtesy Le Vu's Boutique
Baby diaper cakes have become quite popular in recent years and there are plenty of creative cakes you can find for sale online if you are looking to purchase a baby diaper cake for your next baby shower gift. However, if you are a crafty person with a little bit of time and creativity you can make your very own home-made baby diaper cake. Not only will your DIY baby diaper cake be more personal but it will be so much more special to the mom-to-be who is receiving your thoughtful and impressive baby shower gift!
Here is a tutorial for you to make your very own baby diaper cake:
(Courtesy of Baby Zone)
Ingredients
You’ll need:
– 92 size 1 diapers
-1 decorative ribbon at least 1 1/2 inches wide (about 2.5 yards)
-1 coordinating decorative ribbon about at least 1/2 inch thinner than the wide ribbon (about 2.5 yards)
– Small rubber bands
– 2 large rubber bands
– 1 extra-large rubber bands
– 12 inch cake circle (find it at a baking supply or crafts store)
And…
– 1 or 2 chopsticks or skewer sticks
– Glue gun and glue sticks
– Baby bottle, paper towel roll, or bottle of baby lotion
– Decorative objects like faux flowers or a plush animal (optional)
Be Handy
Lay out your diapers on your work surface, with the illustration side facing up. Grab a diaper and start rolling it at the waistline, where the cartoon characters are, toward the bottom. Be sure to roll them tightly—but not too tight.
Band Together
Place a small rubber band around the middle of the rolled diaper to hold it in place. Make sure that the rubber band isn’t squeezing it too hard, as it could cause damage. If this happens, roll your diaper a little tighter.
Keep on Rolling (and Rolling and…)
For this cake, you’ll only need to roll 52 diapers, as the other diapers will be layered on top of each other. Phew!
Build the Bottom Tier
Place the baby bottle, paper towel roll, or baby lotion bottle in the middle of the cake circle. Drape an extra-large rubber band around the object and arrange 20 rolled diapers inside the band, one by one.
Fold Some More
Now it’s time to place the “wrapped” diapers that go on the outer edge of the bottom tier, giving your diaper cake a professional finish. Place the diaper with the illustration-side up, then fold it over to cover it as shown. You’ll need about 25 diapers.
It’s a Wrap!
Place each diaper individually inside the rubber band. Try to maintain an even distance between each one, but don’t worry about that too much. Once you’ve placed all 25 diapers around the base, you can move them around to make sure they are evenly spaced.
Build the Second Tier
Time to roll again, baby! Place 32 rolled diapers within a large rubber band to build the second layer of the cake. Easy peasy, eh? Once you’re done, set it aside and move on to the third tier.
Start Building the Third Tier
The top layer is made with 25 “wrapped” diapers, also held together by a large rubber band. Start by laying all 25 diapers in a row, overlapping (as seen in #1). Then put your overlapping row on it’s side (#2). Start “wrapping” the row into itself (#3).
Now Finish Up the Third Tier
You’ll need to use both hands to hold the wrapped diapers in place—which means you’ll need an extra pair of hands to place the large rubber band around the wrapped third tier. Once the band is in place, check that there is even spacing between each diaper.
Time to Decorate!
Attach the ribbons around the tiers. Rubber bands should be centered in the middle so the ribbons hide them. Tack on the widest ribbon first, then layer the thin ribbon on top. Do the same slim ribbon for the top and bottom tier, a different one for the center one.
Stack ’em Up!
After placing the decorative ribbons on the three tiers, it’s time to put the diaper cake together. Carefully place your second tier on top of the first; you might have to move around a diaper here and there so it fits over the baby bottle in the center of bottom tier.
Almost Done
Take a chopstick or skewer and carefully insert it into the middle of the second tier, leaving part sticking out. Align the center of the top tier to the top of the stick and slide it down. This holds the tiers together, just as the bottle keeps the bottom and second tiers together.
Nice!
Your diaper creation is complete—but it doesn’t have to end there. Jazz it up with faux flowers or a plush animal placed up top or “hugging” the cake from the side. You can further personalize your diaper cake by adding baby’s name with sticky scrapbook letters.
