When you host a baby shower, you can have so much fun putting together themed decorations like balloons, backdrops, and eye-catching centerpieces. But, if you want to take your decor to the next level, you can even make decorations that double as a gift to the new parents, like a diaper cake centerpiece!
Diaper cakes make fantastic baby shower centerpieces because they look adorable, fit any theme, and have plenty of height to stand out and look impressive. Plus, you can learn how to make a diaper cake centerpiece in just a few easy steps!
What is a Diaper Cake?
A diaper cake is a cake shape made out of baby diapers, often in multiple tiers and with cute decorations like baby items or themed cake toppers. You can make a diaper cake in many different styles to suit the theme of your baby shower, too!
For example, if you have a woodland theme baby shower, you can add a woodland theme cake topper like this one, or drape streamers of leaf trim ribbon around the cake!
You can also add useful baby items like rubber duckies, lotions, and soaps to the cake for a more practical baby-themed approach.
No matter what style you pick, you make the base for most diaper cakes following the same simple steps.
- First, make the scaffolding or framework for the cake. You will want a cardboard circle for the bottom of the structure and a dowel or cardboard tube for the center. If you look in the cake decorating section of a craft store, you will find a selection of cardboard cake rounds that work perfectly for this, and you can save a paper towel tube for the center part of the frame!
- The easiest way to attach the central support to the base is to use a hot glue gun, though duct tape can also work.
- Next, open the diaper packages and take a few moments to roll up each diaper into a cylinder, held in place with a small rubber band. For most cakes, you will need between 50 to 75 rolled diapers, though you will find helpful tips on how many diapers to use for different sizes of cakes later in this article.
- Make a circle of rolled diapers around the center support by standing up the diapers beside the paper towel tube. Use a larger rubber band to hold the circle in place around the tube.
- Make a second, larger circle of diapers around the first circle. If you have a rubber band that will fit, band this circle, too.
- Depending on the size of the cake, you may want to add a third or even a fourth circle of diapers around the perimeter of the bottom tier as well.
- Hold the bottom tier of diapers in its circle shape by tying a string around it. You can cover the string with a pretty ribbon when you decorate the cake!
- Repeat these steps if you want to add a second tier to the cake, but use fewer diapers.
- Finally, decorate the cake using ribbons, baby items, or themed decor that matches your party decorations.
If you feel like rolling up all those diapers with rubber bands will inconvenience the parents later on, you can also use an alternative method to make the diaper cake without rolling. This technique is a little more complicated but does produce a pretty result!
For a wrapped or folded diaper cake base:
- Start with a circular base and central support, as you did for the rolled diaper cake.
- Instead of rolling up diapers, wrap them flat horizontally around the central support. For the first diaper circle, you will probably only need two diapers overlapping each other slightly.
- Then add a circle of three wrapped diapers around the first circle, and so on, until you fill up your circular base.
- The circles of diapers will get harder to hold in place as you add more and more diapers to each new circle. You will need to use one hand or arm to hold the diapers as you add new ones with your other hand.
- To finish, tie a big, pretty ribbon and bow around the outside of the circle!
How Many Diapers Do I Need?
To make an average two-tier diaper cake you need between 50 and 75 diapers. This can vary based on the size of diapers you use and how many layers you want to add to your diaper cake.
You will also want a bag of small rubber bands, a circular base for the cake, and supports to hold the layers of the cake together in most cases. Of course, you will also want decorative items like ribbons and cake toppers!
- For a mini diaper cake, you will need around 25 diapers.
- For a 50-diaper cake, make a bottom tier with 26 diapers, a middle tier with 15 diapers, and a top tier with just 6 diapers.
- For a really big diaper cake, you will want a base tier that contains at least four circles of diapers around your central support. This size of diaper cake will often use upwards of 100 diapers, or at least 2 packs.
Keep in mind that using smaller or larger diaper sizes will impact the overall size and height of the cake, too. Newborn diapers will prove most instantly useful to the new parents, of course, but they take up less space and will make a smaller cake overall. So you may want to use size 2 or an even larger size of diapers, that the parents can use later on.
Small Diaper Cake Centerpiece Ideas
If you want diaper cake centerpieces for multiple tables at the baby shower, you may want to make small diaper cakes.
- Place a mini diaper cake on a cake stand for an adorable tiny centerpiece. Roll up seven diapers and secure this with a ribbon. Make five of these bundles. Place four bundles on the cake stand for the base tier, and then add the final bundle on top for a mini-layer cake made out of diapers! The cake stand adds a bit more height to make the mini cake more eye-catching.
- Try using a tiny diaper cake as a place card holder for the baby shower! Roll up seven diapers and secure them with a pretty ribbon. Then add a cute pompom topper like this one and a card with each guest’s name to the top of the “cake”!
- You can also deck out a mini diaper cake with tons of fun items like baby bibs, bows, and duckies. Check out this tutorial from CreatingWithT to learn how!
- If you don’t have a DIY bone in your body, you can buy an adorable mini diaper cake kit like this one instead of designing your own!
Large Diaper Cake Centerpiece Ideas
The best diaper cake centerpieces usually come pretty large for two reasons. First, these cakes include more diapers, which will help the new parents more than a tiny cake with just a handful of diapers! Secondly, bigger cakes make a more impressive centerpiece and will make a great conversation piece for your party guests.
- Add a stuffed animal as a cake topper for a fuzzy diaper cake that suits any party theme! You can go Godzilla-style and have the stuffed animal climbing the side of the cake if you want, too.
- For a circus or outdoor baby shower theme, you can make a hot air balloon diaper cake by following the steps in this tutorial from CoolToys.
- For another really unique large diaper cake style, try turning your cake into an enormous snail shell by watching another popular tutorial from CoolToys.
- Of course, you can also buy a large diaper cake kit with simple instructions like this one. Sometimes you need a quick solution when you’re putting together a baby shower!
Diaper Cake Centerpiece Ideas for a Boy
Diaper cake centerpieces for a boy can feature the traditional blue elements of a classic baby shower for a boy, or they can rock more unique styles like a diaper cake jeep!
- For a really crazy diaper cake centerpiece, you can turn a pack of diapers into a diaper jeep! Then, add cute beanie babies or toys to the driver’s seat to complete the cake. Watch this step-by-step guide from Thom’s Crafts and Treats to learn how.
- Or, for a little guy born into a farming family, you can try this cute diaper cake tractor! Watch the tutorial from Cool Toys to learn how. This one requires a few additional supplies, like green washcloths.
- Make a Mickey Mouse diaper cake centerpiece for a family that loves Disney! You can learn how from this easy tutorial from WDW Mommy.
- Of course, you can easily dress up a simple rolled diaper cake for a boy’s baby shower with toppers and decor like these.
Diaper Cake Centerpiece Ideas for a Girl
Traditionally, a baby shower for a girl uses pink decor like balloons, ribbons, and streamers. You can certainly add pink decorations to a diaper cake centerpiece for a girl, or you can get a little more out there and make a princess castle or a flower cake instead!
- Turn a couple of packs of diapers into giant baby booties for the perfect, adorable centerpiece for a girl’s baby shower! You can watch this guide from Thom’s Crafts and Treats to learn how
- What could look more girlie than a giant princess castle made out of diapers? Watch this short video from Pampers to learn how.
- For another girl-friendly baby shower diaper cake centerpiece, try using fake flowers for decor! Get an enormous flower like this for the topper, and then add small flowers stuck into each of the exposed diapers on the tiers of the cake. Of course, if you don’t like the idea of flowers, you could swap them out for butterflies, too!
- For a super simple diaper cake centerpiece for a girl, make your base cake and add a decor kit like this for the pretty finishing touches.
Gender Neutral Diaper Cake Centerpiece Ideas
If the new parents have not made a gender announcement yet you may want to use a gender-neutral diaper cake centerpiece for the baby shower.
- One easy way to decorate a gender-neutral diaper cake centerpiece is to use cake toppers and decor designed for edible cakes, like this cute glittery “welcome baby” cake topper.
- Or buy a diaper cake decor kit like this gender-neutral animal-themed set.
- “Whoo” wouldn’t love this owl diaper cake centerpiece? Watch the easy tutorial from Tu Giron to learn how to craft this feathered friend!
- You can even buy complete diaper cakes and add simple gender-neutral decor if you need to save time making a gender-neutral diaper cake!
Best Toppers for a Diaper Cake Centerpiece
You can top a diaper cake centerpiece with anything from a stuffed animal to real flowers to a regular cake topper! Check out a few cool ideas here.
- Go traditional with cake toppers designed for edible cakes. The best reason to buy one of these is that they come in all kinds of different baby shower themes, like unicorns, bumble bees, or safaris. This way, you can conveniently tie in the centerpiece to the rest of the shower decorations.
- Alternatively, use a more practical diaper cake topper by selecting an item the new family can actually use in the future, like a stuffed animal or a baby bottle. Rubber duckie toys also make popular diaper cake toppers perfect for actually using later on.
- For a glamorous baby shower, think of the diaper cake more like a layered wedding cake and festoon it with fresh flowers, beautiful bows, or even peacock feathers! You can get tips on how to make a fresh flower cake topper here.
Conclusion
A diaper cake makes a thoughtful and attractive centerpiece for the gift table or snack table at any baby shower. Your guests will ooh and ahh at the impressive-looking centerpiece, and the new parents will love the thoughtful gift of diapers to help get them through the first few months with a newborn!
You can make a diaper cake in many different styles, like mini cakes or large layer cakes. You can even make a diaper cake in the shape of a hot air balloon, a tractor, or a castle!