How to make a diaper cake.

Okay, here we go! We're making a diaper cake. I'm not going to give you a big supply list, because it's up to you. You will need about 60-70 diapers and a cardboard base. I use size 2 Luvs....because I like Luvs and I like to give bigger diapers. You can buy a cardboard cake round, but I'm cheap. I trace a dinner plate on a piece of cardboard and cut it out. It ends up slightly smaller than my cake, so you never see it. If yours is larger, you should cover it or decorate it.

Step 1. Roll up a diaper.



Step 2. Fasten with a rubber band. Repeat 60-70 times. Usually while watching tv.


Step 3. Attach your center to your cardboard base. I'm using baby wash since I'm making a bath time cake. This is a good basic to use. You can also use a bottle, lotion, a paper towel roll, or even a can of formula. Anything relatively tall and cylindrical. I use glue dots or hot glue to attach it. Today I went with hot glue. There are glue dots in the photo, since a lot of people don't know they exist. Yup. People make and sell dots of glue, for your convenience.


Step 4. Put a large, sturdy rubber band around your center. Begin slipping diapers into the rubber band.


Step 5. Fill the first ring with diapers. It usually takes 6-8 diapers, depending on the size of your center. I like to make sure that they all face in the same direction, because I'm strange like that. You might not be so obsessive....in which case stuff them in there any way you like. Now carefully remove the small rubber bands from each diaper. New moms don't like to take of 70 rubber bands before using their gift. If you like, you can substitute some of the diapers for onesies or other small gifts. You can also ditch the whole first ring, wrap an entire outfit around the center and secure with rubber bands or ribbon.


Congratulations! You just finished the first ring. Do your happy dance and let's get back to work.

Step 6. Put another rubber band around the ring you have assembled.


Step 7. Start slipping diapers into the new rubber band to make your second ring. I don't remember how many diapers, just put some in. It should be snug. Don't forget to remove the small rubber bands. Repeat entire step for the third ring.



Woohoo! We're done with the whole first layer.


Step 8. Here is gets a little tricky. I want the top of my cake to be only diapers, so I'm using a toilet paper roll for the rest of my center. You can use a small bottle or a sippy cup too. If I'm using another gift as my center, I leave it off and begin to assemble my second layer. Since I need to do some creative cutting to make my toilet paper roll work, I do it now. If you like, you can also use some baby spoons or popsicle sticks between the diapers of the first and second layer for stability. Just stick one end into the center of a diaper in the second ring, then stick another diaper right on top of it when you get there.



Step 9. Just like your first layer, put a rubber band on and slip diapers in. Repeat for a second ring. You will only have two rings in this layer.


Whew. Onto the last layer.

Step 9. Put together your top layer. If you are using a paper towel or toilet paper roll center, stick a diaper (or two) down in there. This will make the top of your cake look nice. You can always leave the top of a bottle or sippy cup sticking out. One of my other favorite things to do is put a puppet over the center, leaving the head and arms above the diapers. Makes a cute topper.


Step 10. Slip on a rubber band and complete a ring of diapers. Only one ring on the top layer. Don't forget to remove those pesky rubber bands from each diaper!

Done! That's your basic cake. Time to decorate it! Here are some things I've used, you can search the internet for more ideas or come up with something on your own.


Tie strips of tulle around each layer


Use a nice ribbon


Tie a piece of curly ribbon around each diaper. Say hello to my ham of a husband. He can't stand not being in pictures.


You can also wrap the whole thing in blankets.....or hooded towels. Hooded towels are IMPOSSIBLE. If this is your first cake, don't use them. Unless your some crazy Martha Stewart over achiever. In which case, knock yourself out. But don't blame me when you get mad and throw your pretty cake across the room.

So here I am fighting with the towels. It took a lot of creative folding and safety pinning. Also, if you're going to use towels or blankets, dish out the extra buck for the good safety pins. Do not buy the value economy pack of safety pins so dull you can't stick them in butter. That will make you want to poke your eyes out with said safety pins. But you can't. They are too dull.


After fighting for a VERY long time with towels and pins, I get this sloppy mess. It will have to do.


Now I'm adding some ducks. I love me some ducks. And the ducks love me. Especially after I shove a pipe cleaner up their little ducky bums. Sorry boys, it's the only way to attach you to the cake.


This is not what I had in mind when I started, but I think it's passably cute. Wrap it in tulle or cellophane and you're ready to take it to a new mommy!


Here is another one of my favorites. I'm just waiting for someone to have a little girl so I can give it away!


So there you go! Make yourself a cake! If you know of a better way, please let me know. I'm always looking for new ideas...especially if you know how to make the diapers look like the spiral around the cake.