Decorative Baby Shower Diaper Cake

A Diaper Cake is an attractive and creative
gift and decoration for a baby shower.

Materials:

1 18 inch round or square sturdy piece of cardboard

tissue or wrapping paper 

scotch tape

63 newborn diapers

63 small rubber bands

1 large rubber band

2 full size baby bottles**

curling ribbon

1 inch or wider ribbon

decorative stickers

small baby gifts/clothing such as booties, hats, hair bands, bibs, wash cloths etc.

crochet hook (optional)

Supplies

Method:

• Thoroughly was your hands before handling the supplies.
• Use a round cardboard cake base or square piece of cardboard (I used one 1/8 inch thick)
• If desired, cover with tissue or wrapping paper. Secure with tape to the bottom of the cardboard. (I was making a cake for a baby girl, so I used 2 sheets of bright pink tissue paper.)

Paper covered base - secured by tape on bottom side

• Roll up each diaper and secure the upper third of the rolled diapers with a small rubber band.

Diaper, tissue paper, rolled diaper and rubber bands

Bottles taped together and to base.

• Tape one baby bottle to the center of the cardboard base.
• Tape a second bottle to the top of the first bottle.

First row of rolled diapers secured with a large rubber band.

• Slide a large rubber band around the 6 diapers
• Remove the small rubber bands from the 6 rolled diapers. (I used a crochet hook to easily remove the small rubber bands.) 
• Use 13 diapers to make a second row around the first row, by sliding each rolled diaper under the large rubber band. 

• Remove the small rubber bands from the tops of the second row.
• Use 18 diapers to make a third row of diapers on the base, by sliding them under the large rubber band.

• Tie a piece of curling ribbon around the third layer to secure the diapers and then remove the small rubber bands and the large rubber band.
• Place 7 diapers, around the bottle, on top of the first layer of diapers.
• Slide the large rubber band around the 7 diapers.
• Remove the small rubber bands from the 7 diapers.
• Use 12 diapers to make a second row around the first row, by sliding each diaper under the large rubber band. 
• Securely tie a piece of curling ribbon around the second layer and trim off the ends of the ribbon.
• Remove the large rubber band and the small rubber bands from the diapers.
• Use 7 rolled diapers to make a third layer around the bottles. 
• Slide the large runner band around the 7 diapers.
• Tie with curling ribbon and trim the ends.
• Remove the large and small rubber bands from the 7 diapers.

• Use your choice or ribbon to wrap around each "cake" layer. 
• Secure with a decorative sticker. (I used an adhesive trim of jeweled flowers around a wide portion of tulle, but a simple single sticker may be used.)
• Decorate the top of the cake with booties, a baby hat or a head band.

A floral headband, baby booties and ribbon cake top.

**If you do not wish to use baby bottles in the center of the cake, chopsticks may be used to secure the layers. (This is an easier method, but the parents to be may appreciate the extra bottles.)

Notes: 

If you like, folded and rolled bibs and washcloths may be substituted for some of the diapers on the bottom third layer and for some of the diapers on the second row of the second layer.

This makes a very pretty  baby shower centerpiece or gift that always delights the mother to be.

Baby shower, February 2021

I made this cake for a cousin who named her baby "Henry". I researched the history of the Oh Henry candy bar and created a greeting card (online at Walgreens photo) with the info typed inside. They stopped making Oh Henry candy bars in the USA in 2019, but they still are made in Canada and can be purchased online. I stapled the mini candy bars to the ribbons around the diapers. I used large chopsticks to secure the layers.