Crafting the Perfect Diaper Cake: A Creative & Useful Baby Gift

A diaper cake is the most adorable and practical gift you could give a new mom. Adorable and practical don’t usually go hand in hand but in this case, they do!

I seriously started making diaper cakes when I was like 10. Ask my mom. She says we should have tried to patent them before they became popular but I don’t even know if such a thing is possible.

The great part about the diaper cake is you don’t have to be creative to make them. They offer a wow factor to any gift-opening circle time. Diapers are expensive for new parents so it’s the ultimate gift. Plus there are a million and one ways to personalize them so they usually turn out super cute.

So let’s jump right in and see the best ones. I’ve also got an explainer on how to put one together for your next baby shower soiree.

Best Diaper Cakes I’ve Come Across

Moment of truth- I made this one recently for my friend so I had to include it on the list. Those attending her baby shower were asked to bring their favorite book for the baby boy’s nursery. This one makes me cry.

Every.

Darn.

Time.

I also scored some adorable camo baby Uggs (ya know, in case he wants to hike at 2 months old) so I used those as my cake topper. I think shoes make a good take topper because of their size and shape.

I especially like the one above from Sweetaprils.com Once the diaper layers are assembled, you wrap them in thin receiving blankets giving it a clean, almost fondant look. So sweet and feminine.

The diaper cake pictured above and posted to Pinterest by Tulamama.com is exquisite. For the plant-loving natural mama-to-be in your life, this would be such a sweet gift. It’s perfect in its simplicity.

Clearly, I love the succulent theme for the diaper cake. I you don’t feel like making your own, or you’re not crafty, you can buy diaper cake from babyblossomco.com

They rolled their diapers slightly differently, having them all go in the same direction. I’ve actually tried this method before on a diaper cake but found it slightly more difficult. It’s a two-person job when you do it this way or, you need to put them in a deep round pan to make this effect.

I love how they put together some smaller versions too. These would be pretty as table centerpieces for the shower. Then mama-to-be could take them home. They double as gifts and decorations!

Pretty sure this Twinkle Twinkle theme diaper cake posted to Pinterest is the best one I’ve ever seen. Any time you can add lights to a gift it automatically ups the wow factor. All you have to do is order some battery-powered fairy lights from Amazon and add them around the outer edge of the diaper cake.

Look at the attention to detail here as well. I mean look at the clouds on the diapers! There are lots of diapers out there that have a plethora of designs on them, so don’t forget to look online.

There may be a diaper print that matches your theme perfectly. This one is perfect for a Twinkle Twinkle party theme.

Ok this one might be my second favorite diaper cake I’ve ever come across by Busycreatingmemories.com

I love the idea of incorporating a paper lantern (bonus points if you get one that lights up) into the gift. This would also make an adorable centerpiece for the table for the baby shower. This is especially cute for an aviation-themed nursery or if mom or dad is a pilot.

For some bunny special. How cute is this rabbit-themed one from c-and-a.com. This would especially be cute for a shower around Easter.

If you’re looking to buy a diaper cake instead of constructing one yourself, you can get this one from Etsy shop Tumbleweed Babies. They covered the diaper layers in burp cloths and receiving blankets to play up the woodland theme.

This Peter Rabbit diaper cake posted to Pinterest is just perfection. This would be especially cute if you’re attending a shower like the one I went to recently where we were asked to bring our favorite book for the baby boy.

You can easily add a small Beatrix Potter book to this theme. There are so many little bunny accessories you can add to the gift.

If you’re looking to wow that mama who is having a little princess, here’s your chance. The tutu at the bottom and tiara at the top is just “tutu much!” You can snap this one from the Etsy shop Diaper Impression LLC

I like the idea of using real flowers on the diaper cake, especially for a baby girl. This one above you can snag from the Etsy shop SRcreativesGA

I understand this isn’t a diaper cake but go with me here. Can’t you picture using the top part as inspiration – a big balloon and a stuffed animal hanging from it?

Then at the bottom, there is a diaper cake where the stuffed animal is attached. This would be a show stopper and I think I might have to use this pic as inspiration for my next diaper cake. This one was posted to Pinterest by Tulamama.com

Ok, this one above posted to Pinterest is just next level. I’m not even sure how they went about putting this one together. It looks like it’s on a round box and the diapers are wrapped around a toy carousel. This one is seriously impressive.

Diaper Cake Supplies and Preparation

Diapers can be expensive. I like to get mine at Aldi because I’m a bargain girl. I also like to get a size bigger than a newborn or size 1. I feel like new moms often get a lot of newborn-sized items and the babies often grow out of them before they have a chance to use them.

It’s more practical to go bigger. Plus the bigger size is easier for assembling the diaper cake in my experience. For the most recent diaper cake I made I used size 3t-4t so it’ll be a while before he uses them.

The big question is how many diapers do you need?

For my 12-inch diameter, two-tiered diaper cake I used 54 diapers sized 3t-4t

Here’s a list of other items you’ll need to make your cake

• diapers (I bought 3 packs of 19 diapers size 3t-4t. I used all but like 3 diapers)
• cardboard box, cake platter, or other sturdy base
• Paper towel tube, lotion bottle, or other sturdy stick for the inside (I’ve also seen people use a package of wipes standing vertically in the middle instead of a tube) You could even use a wine bottle for a fun surprise for mom to find after the baby is born!
• Rubber bands (if you don’t have those tape will work but rubber bands are best. You could also use clear hair ties)
• Scissors
• Decorative Ribbon
• Any embellishments you want to add like pacifiers, socks, hairbows, lotion, shampoo
• Hot glue gun- optional if you want to secure the inner cardboard roll to the base

Building the Diaper Cake

1. Choose Your Base: Select a sturdy cardboard round or a cake base that’s larger than the bottom tier of your diaper cake. I used a cardboard box and cut it to 12-inch diameter
2. Wrap the Base (Optional): Cover the cardboard or cake base with decorative wrapping paper or fabric to add a nice touch. Secure it with tape or glue. I didn’t do this but you’re welcome to.
3. Wrap Diapers: Wrap diapers tightly starting with the top part (as opposed to the part that goes in between their legs) Use rubber bands, clear hair ties, or tape to secure them together in a circular shape.
4. Make your first layer – I used 35 diapers size 3t-4t wrapped tightly
5. Secure the bottom layer -together by tying it with a small rope, ribbon, or large rubber band
6. Make the second layer – I used 19 diapers sized 3t-4t wrapped tightly
7. Trim Excess: If necessary, trim any excess from the paper towel tube so it’s not sticking out the top.
8. Hot glue tube to base – this is optional but I did hot glue the bottom of my paper towel tube to the cardboard box to make it slightly more sturdy
9. Optional Embellishments: Add decorative ribbon or trim around the base to enhance its look and tie in with the overall theme of your diaper cake.
10. Any extra diapers – give them to your daughters to play babies with. That’s what I did!

Adding Decorative Elements

The sky is the limit when adding accessories to the cake. Think about your theme and what would go best. You can attach the decorative elements with glue dots. I would not use a hot glue gun to attach the accessories as it may damage them.

I like to use oversized diaper pins to attach my accessories like baby socks or pacifiers. The diaper pins come in a variety of colors and they ensure those extra items don’t fall off those diaper cakes.

Constructing Additional Tiers

You’ll want the ties to get smaller as you go vertically on the diaper cake. As long as they’re snug around the paper towel tube, bottle, or whatever you’ve chosen to hold it together on the inside, you shouldn’t need anything additional to keep it in place.

Finishing Touches and Presentation

Make sure you cover any rubber bands, tape, or wires with cute decorative ribbons. If you can see the base and what to cover it, consider filling that space with small flowers, paper confetti pacifiers, or other items that go along with the theme of the diaper cake.

Personalizing the Gift

Be sure to make this as personal as possible. It’s important to consider the theme of the shower and/or the theme of the baby’s nursery. Consider including the baby’s name somewhere on the diaper cake or on one of the accessories. New moms love to see their little one’s name on display.

Tips for Transporting and Delivering

Just be careful when taking the diaper cake to the baby shower. Whenever I order a real cake from the bakery they always tell me to put it on the flat bottom floor of my car, as opposed to on a seat or something. They tell me that’s the safest way to transport it.

So the same rule applies to a diaper cake. Put it on the floorboard of the car and it should be okay if you need to slam on brakes or take the curve a little too fast.

Other Baby Shower Gift Ideas

I’ve got a few other baby shower gift ideas if you’re looking for more. Again, the main point is to make it special and personal for your loved one and friend. You can’t ever go wrong when you do it that way.

Conclusion

This is a great gift idea for a mom-to-be and it’s one of my go-to presents if I’ve got the time. Let me know if you decide to make one or come across any stellar ideas I need to include here! For now, happy cake-making!

Erica Fox

Hi I’m Erica! TV news anchor and mom to 4 littles. I’m obsessed with creating those “wow” moments in life through crafting at home, cool travel adventures and special celebrations with loved ones. Thanks for joining me on this adventure!