How To Make a Diaper Cake

Are you attending a baby shower and trying to think up the perfect gift? Or are you hosting a shower and looking for fun and cute decorations? Diaper cakes are easy and fun to make, and they’re a cute addition to any baby shower. It’s also a really fun craft to do on your own, with friends, or even with kids.

There are two main steps involved in making a diaper cake. First, you build the cake structure using diapers and a few easy-to-find craft supplies. Then you get to decorate the cake! In this guide, we’re bringing you step-by-step instructions on how to make a diaper cake for a baby shower as well as some fun decorating ideas.

What Is a Diaper Cake?

A diaper cake is a collection of diapers that are arranged and decorated to look like a multi-tier cake. This concept acts as the perfect baby shower gift for any mom-to-be. A diaper cake can be as big, tall, and extravagant as you like, and they’re often decorated with fun DIY trinkets like paper flowers and ribbon. 

Many people also like to add other baby gifts to their diaper cake design, such as:

  • Diaper cream
  • Toys
  • Milk bottles
  • Baby wipes

Diaper cakes are equal parts decorative and practical. They make fantastic centerpieces and nursery decorations. Gifting an expectant parent a diaper cake is fun, thoughtful, and genuinely helpful.

What You’ll Need

Here’s a list of everything you need to make a diaper cake:

  • Diapers: For a three-tiered cake, you’ll need about 50 high-quality diapers.
  • Elastic rubber bands: You’ll need about 50 rubber bands (one for each diaper).
  • Ribbons: You’ll need ribbons to hold each tier together, and you can also use them for decorating.
  • A cake base: You can use a cake tray, a block of wood, or make a base yourself using cardboard.
  • A paper towel tube: You can also use an empty wrapping paper tube.
  • Fabric glue: You can use a glue gun or glue sticks.
  • Decorations: For example, a cute cake topper, bows, paper flowers, small stuffed animals, baby shoes, or toys.

    • Instructions

    1. Choose a Suitable Base

    If you’re using a cake tray, this step takes no time at all. But if you’re making your own base with cardboard, you’ll need to cut it into the right size and shape. Opt for a thick cardboard to ensure the cake is sturdy, and then cover it with tin foil or a decorative wrapping paper.

    2. Roll Each Diaper

    One by one, roll each diaper and secure it with an elastic rubber band.

    3. Place the Paper Towel Roll

    Try to make sure the paper towel roll is exactly in the middle of the base.

    4. Make the First Tier

    Place the rolled-up diapers around the paper towel roll until the entire base is covered. In general, you’ll want this tier to be at least four diapers deep to ensure it’s the largest tier. Then secure the layer with a ribbon.

    5. Complete the Second and Third Tiers

    Create the second layer on top of the first, but decrease the number of diapers to ensure this layer is smaller than the first. Secure it with another ribbon. Then repeat this process with the third tier, ensuring it’s the smallest one.

    6. Decorate

    Adding decorations to your diaper cake is the fun part! You can decorate your cake however you want. Glue cute bows or paper flowers onto the sides of the tiers or place small stuffed animals on each tier. The only necessary item is a cake topper or bow, which is used to cover the top of the paper towel roll in the middle.

    Diaper Cake Decoration Ideas

    Baby Shower Themed Diaper Cake

    When in doubt, matching the theme of the baby shower is sure to make your diaper cake a hit. 

    For example, if the theme is floral then be sure to include plenty of flowers to keep in line with other decorations. 

    If the theme is Disney fairytale, then you might opt for diapers with classic Disney characters on them along with a Disney-themed cake topper. If the mom-to-be has a favorite Disney princess, then you can place a doll of that princess at the top with the legs hidden to make the diapers look like the skirt of her dress.

    Pink or Blue Diaper Cake

    If you already know the gender of the baby, then a classic “It’s a boy!” or “It’s a girl!” diaper cake is a classic option. Simply decorate your diaper cake with pink or blue diapers and top it off with gender-related ornaments, and you’re good to go.

    This is also a great idea for a gender reveal party. Simply use pink and blue decorations. You can either incorporate both colors throughout the cake seamlessly or decorate one half completely blue and the other completely pink.

    Holiday Diaper Cake

    A seasonal baby shower gift is always fun, especially if it’s in line with other decorations. You can make it more general with a winter or summer theme depending on the time of year. Or, if the baby is due near a specific holiday, you can opt for a festive diaper cake.

    For example, a winter holiday themed diaper cake may include cotton balls to look like snow and some small decorative snowmen on top. A halloween diaper cake might be orange and black with some paper ghosts and pumpkins on top.

    Other Diaper Shapes

    While a traditional diaper sculpture is made to look like a multi-tiered cake, you can easily switch this up. There are many different ways to gift diapers in fun and creative arrangements. Here are a few alternative diaper shapes to consider:

    • A paper snail with a spiral of diapers making up the shell
    • A bassinet or cradle made of diapers with other gifts inside
    • A bathtub-shaped diaper cake fitted with bath toys and cotton balls to like like bubbles

    Final Thoughts

    A diaper cake is a great way to add some fun and creativity to any baby shower. Every new parent will need plenty of diapers in the first few years of their baby’s life. Gifting your friend or family member these basic essentials can do wonders to reduce stress and give the expectant mom some extra help.