DIAPER CAKE TUTORIAL (2024)

At every baby shower we throw, there’s always a diaper cake centerpiece (scroll down for more of our cakes)! Not only is it visually super fun, but it’s also the perfect gift for a new mama. We try to embellish the tiers and topper to match the theme of the party, and this one pictured above was from Jenni’s hip hop/concert themed baby shower we threw last weekend… working on that post… promise! Jenni’s always talked about getting baby Nike Dunks for her baby boy way before she even had Amara, so I knew the topper had to be these little kicks.

I’ve made all the mistakes for you and come up with my fail-safe way to make a 4-tiered spectacular diaper cake!

I’ve found TARGET BRAND diapers to be the best!! First of all, they’re great diapers. When I had Ari I insisted on Pampers swaddlers (they are super soft after all) but when Max was born, I just went to Target brand and they’re just as good and way cheaper. Aesthetically for a diaper cake, they’re the best, because they are plain white and nice and flat. Pampers are a little puffier and look messy on a cake. Still works though- scroll down to see previous diaper cakes.

I bought one small pack each of newborn, size one, and size two. It’s nice to give the mom a variety and it also looks really nice on the cake to have the tiers be different heights.

My secret to the perfect shaped diaper cake is…. an oatmeal can inside! Yep, that’s how I get that nice round shape, it fills in the middle nicely, and it keeps all the tiers sturdy.

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 Oatmeal Can

LARGE Rubberbands

String (anything will do!)

About 75 diapers

(see anatomy picture above for size variety)

Embellishment for tiers and topper

Cake Platter (mine is about 13″)

INSTRUCTIONS:

*Tip- make sure each diaper for each tier is facing in the same direction

4th TIER

Start with the largest size diaper for the bottom tier.

Place a large rubberband around the can and start sticking diapers in, layering about 2-3 inches. You want to overlap them evenly all around. Soon your rubberband will get super tight

and break in your face and your diapers will fly everywhere and you’ll say a non-baby-shower-appropriate-word

and you’ll need to reinforce this layer with a piece of string. (See, told you I’ve made all the mistakes for you!) Just tie loosely around this layer in a bow so that you can adjust the length as you add more diapers.

As you layer the diapers all the way around, tuck the last diaper underneath the first so that it looks continuous and clean. Tie TWO pieces of string around this layer, one on the top and one on the bottom of the tier. This keeps the shape.

This bottom tier (4th tier) will have TWO rounds of layers. So just start layering again on top of the first round of diapers, this time with a string to hold this layer unless you have a huge rubberband! Can’t tell you how many times I thought a rubberband was big enough and -snap-! Tie two pieces of string around the layer, one near the top and one near the bottom. You’ll cover these up with embellishment at the end.

3rd TIER

This is one layer of diapers all around, about 17 diapers in size 1. Tie two pieces of string around the layer, one near the top and one near the bottom.

2nd TIER

If you’re using the same size diapers and oatmeal can that I did, you’ll notice that there’s only about 2-3 inches of space left on the oatmeal can for the next tier. That’s not going to be sturdy enough to keep the clean, round shape of the tier. You’ll need to take 3 diapers and simply fold them each in half, stack them, and wrap 2 rubberbands around them. Place on the top of the oatmeal can, and now you’ll keep that 2nd tier more sturdy and not falling in on itself.

Wrap only 8 or so diapers around and spread the layers a little wider than before. This keeps the tier thinner than the previous tier. Tie two pieces of string around the layer, one near the top and one near the bottom.

1st TIER

Roll 4 newborn size diapers up and individually wrap with a rubber band. Bring these 4 together and wrap all 4 up with a rubberband. This is the center of the top tier which will keep the shape since you’ve run out of room on the oatmeal can. Put another large rubberband around these 4 and start tucking in your diaper layers. Wrap about 8 diapers around, tucking the last one behind the first for that continuous look. Tie two pieces of string around the layer, one near the top and one near the bottom.

You can see each tier has the string tied around the top and bottom which keeps that nice straight shape.

Voila! You’re ready to decorate!

Lauren of Rock Paper Scissors printed these patterned strips of paper to match the invitations she designed. You could use thick ribbon or any type of paper (taped together into strips) to cover the strings and rubberbands.

Don’t forget your cake topper!

Here are some of our earlier cakes to give you decoration ideas:

DIAPER CAKE TUTORIAL (15)

Modern mint an neutral baby shower HERE.

This was from Jenni’s baby shower for Amara almost 4 years ago! (HERE) This was one of my first diaper cakes, so I used colorful diapers, but I think it still turned out okay not being all white.

Lori’s stork-themed baby shower (HERE) These were Pampers diapers- see a little too puffy and not uniform enough for OCD me. For embellishment, I taped strips of kraft paper together, wrapped around each tier, and glued feathers on top.

Lauren’s Winter White Baby Shower (HERE). I loved this one! I used white silk ribbon so that everything was white…. can’t tell you how many people thought this was a real cake. They were super disappointed.

Please let me know if you have any questions on construction! It can be a little confusing! If you’re in Nashville, we can totally make this for you! Convo us on our Etsy shop or email us 🙂

XO

-L

DIAPER CAKE TUTORIAL (2024)

FAQs

How many diapers do I need to make a diaper cake? ›

Most diaper cakes use about 50 to 75 newborn or size 1 diapers. Here's what you'll need: A cake topper (a stuffed animal, ribbon, board book, etc.)

What holds a diaper cake together? ›

For a wraparound diaper cake, place a clean paper towel roll upright on your base and wrap the diapers around it. Keep wrapping until the first tier of your diaper cake is as wide as you want it to be. Once you're done, secure the diapers in place with an extra-large rubber band or a ribbon.

How to make a DIY diaper? ›

Bring the part of the t-shirt extending above the sleeves down over the sleeves. The upper part of the lowercase "t" shape should be folded all the way over, creating a capital "T" shape. Fold the bottom of the shirt in half. Take the bottom portion of the shirt and draw it up to the bottom sleeve line.

Can you use size 2 diapers for a diaper cake? ›

Choose size 2 diapers for your cake, since many babies never wear the newborn size, and they grow out of the size 1s astoundingly quickly. Make your cake colorful by picking washcloths and blankets in different shades and patterns. Use a special toy or stuffed animal as a cake topper.

What size ribbon for diaper cake? ›

Assortment of ribbon in colors that complement the diaper pattern you selected. We used a 3-inch wide “thick” ribbon and a 1-inch wide “thin” ribbon. Cake plate, paper plate, or piece of cardboard for the base.

What is the point of a diaper cake? ›

They typically serve two fundamental purposes: as a unique decorative piece (for a baby shower or nursery), and practically for helping your new parents care for their newborn. After being displayed, parents can use the diapers, which are all brand new, fresh out of the package Pampers brand, on their baby.

What can you put on a diaper cake? ›

You can even add other baby essentials to it like washcloths, baby toiletries like shampoo and soap, toys, and even baby blankets. And with diaper cakes, you can make sure that aside from giving a gift that the family will surely use, you are also confident that your gift fits the theme of the baby shower.

How to make diaper cake without cake pan? ›

Making the Base

Most diaper cakes will have about three layers, but you can do as few as one or two. If you can't find any pie pans, you can use other round, shallow containers—just make sure that the container is no more than half the diaper's height. This will make it easier to tie the diapers together later on.

How to make a diaper wreath? ›

Roll the diapers into your desired shape and secure them with a rubber band. Unfold the diapers to roll them up tightly, or keep them folded for a foam or cardboard wreath. Then, wrap a rubber band around the outside of the diaper so that it doesn't come undone before you put it on the wreath.

How do you make a 3 tier diaper cake without rolling it? ›

No Roll Diaper Cake Tutorial
  1. Gather three round pots, pans, or containers of various sizes.
  2. Start with the largest layer. ...
  3. Use a string, rubber band, or anything you have, to temporarily secure the diapers within the pan. ...
  4. Repeat the process with the remaining two layers.
  5. Stack the three layers.
Feb 1, 2012

Do you wrap a box of diapers for a baby shower? ›

stacks of diapers are wrapped with tulle so it all stays together. Do much fun and so easy! Baby shower gift basket. Great gift for coworkers (everyone signs up an item to buy).

Can you make a diaper cake out of cloth diapers? ›

For the Base: Fold a cloth diaper in thirds and roll, taping it together. Roll the remaining cloth diapers around each other. Tape securely together. Add additional decorations to base of the cake.

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