A diaper roll. You're going to have a lot of these.
We messed up on rolling these (you can see diaper fringe sticking out on some ends). Make sure to roll from top to bottom on the diapers to avoid this!
A few diapers between the top and middle layers adds a baby-themed touch to your diaper cake.
Yes, a lot of diapers. It is highly recommended to have a second set of helping hands to construct your diaper cake.
Streamers or ribbons will add some color to your cake. It also helps cover up how many rubber bands you used rolling those diapers.
No, there is no typo in the title. This is indeed a recipe for a diaper cake.
Around this time last year, my husband and I were expecting our first child, so our co-workers, friends, family and church threw us a few baby showers.
We received items on baby registries, items that just looked like fun that matched our personalities and sports team affiliation... and the star of the show, the diaper cake.
This gift is ideal for baby showers and proof that with the right presentation, you can make a practical but boring gift far more fun and exciting than it should be.
Ingredients:
83 diapers, newborn or size 1.It may be more difficult to assemble with larger diapers than newborn size. I don't recommend larger than size 1, because that means your future parents may have to store them for awhile before use.
Rubber bandsWe're going to try to hide them, so no need to get anything fancy.
Ribbon/streamersWe used about 3-4 feet of it.
Optionals: Pacifiers, bows, bottles, rubber ducks, rattles, or other small decor or baby toys Additional stuff:Scissors and tapeA second person to hold things in place during cutting/tapingServing tray (even a cardboard pizza circle works) for your cake!Baking the cake:
1. Roll those diapers, starting from the top of the diaper to the bottom.2. Use a rubber band (be careful to not damage the diapers!) to keep the diapers rolled. 3. With one diaper roll in the center, place seven rolled diapers around it, creating an 8-diaper roll. Use another rubber band (if you have one large enough) to help hold this in place.
4. Now place 17 rolled diapers around your 8-diaper roll, creating a 25-diaper roll.By this time, your second helping hands should come in handy since your diaper rolls will like to topple over, or just roll off your workspace. If you are facing this frustration, it is perfectly all right to start trying to ribbon/rubber band off this many diapers, just to keep them in place.
5. Place 35 diapers around your around your 25-diaper roll, creating a 60-diaper roll.This was simply impossible without my husband's help, and vise versa, so before you give up, read step six...
6. Place a ribbon or streamer around your 60-diaper roll, holding the diaper rolls in place and covering the rubber bands around the diapers.After lining up the 35 outter diaper rolls, my husband started getting the streamer around the diapers while I held the diaper rolls in place.
7. Make the ribbon/streamer tight enough to hold this cake layer in place, then cut the ribbon/streamer and tape it.Congratulations! You have just completed the cake's bottom layer. Set this to the side, let's make the other layers...
8. Repeat steps 1 through 4.9. Place a ribbon or streamer around your 25-diaper roll, holding the diaper rolls in place and covering the rubber bands around the diapers.This cake layer will be your middle layer. Set this aside for now...
10. Repeat steps 1 through 3.11. Place a ribbon or streamer around your 8-diaper roll, holding the diaper rolls in place and covering the rubber bands around the diapers.This is your cake's top layer. Let's bring them all together and get creative now...
12. Place the 60-diaper layer on top of a base (cookie sheet, pizza cardboard circle, etc.).13. Place the 25-diaper layer on top of the 60-diaper layer14. Place the 8-diaper layer on top of the 25-diaper layer.You should now have a three-layer diaper cake.
15. (Optional) Personalize your cake with pacifiers, bows, or other small baby toys and decorations.Alternatives:
Sub out the middle diaper on the top layer for a baby bottle.Sub out diapers for rolled up wash cloths (you can just use tape to hold those in place)Top the cake with stuffed animal or other small baby toyPrep time was less than an hour with helping hands helping out. Total cost for supplies was...
Diapers: About $20
Rubber bands: About $1
Streamers/bows: About $5
Pacifiers: About $5
Total cost: About $31
I bet you'd like to see what a finished one looks like? Here's ours:
--Althea Peterson
Baby bit: I've said it once and I'll say it again: Baby illnesses are not created equal. Some will require you to rush off to the children's hospital for a weekend IV and antibiotics, others will make you take a day off for work for a little bit of stuff in the eyes. Yes, she had pink eye (again). Eyedrops four times a day (which she hates) for seven days should clear them right up.
This week, my baby is eating: A box of... SPLENDA?! No, baby girl! Why did I leave that pantry door open? Why does she like chewing cardboard? Yes, the panty is now closed with Splenda inside. Sure, play with that kitchen drawer so you can have... a plastic measuring cup?!
Althea Peterson is the proud mother of a 11-month old girl. Althea returned to work at the Tulsa World in May after two months of maternity leave. Baby advice, baby questions or baby words of encouragement can be sent to althea.peterson@tulsaworld.com. Also, follow Althea and other parents on Twitter at twitter.com/twbecauseisaid. You can also follow Althea at twitter at twitter.com/a1a4ou.
