Are you planning a shower for a friend or family member and dreading it?
Baby showers are not like they used to be, and there are many trends that have improved and updated the traditional baby shower. Some of those trends are even funny and clever, including the new diaper baby cake.

A diaper cake is not a baked treat. It is a way to present a shower gift. Every mother can tell you that they change more diapers than they care to remember during the first year of their baby’s life.

The simple fact is that diapers quickly become a way of life for new parents. A diaper cake is an excellent, creative way to gift new parents with the baby care essentials that they need and will use every day, if not every three hours.

It is very easy to find the ingredients for your diaper cake. You will need approximately sixty diapers and small rubber bands, ribbon, a plastic cake platter, one four ounce baby bottle, and one eight ounce baby bottle. You will also need some cake decorations to create the illusion of a cake. You may also want to purchase pacifiers, rattles, teething rings, onsies, lotions, and stuffed animals to make your diaper cake more exciting.

Assembly is quite easy. The first thing you will need to do is prepare the first layer. You will need to roll five or six diapers tightly. You will need to unfold each diaper and then roll each diaper individually. Secure each rolled diaper with a small rubber band, the tighter the better. Take five or six rolled diapers and secure them around an 8 ounce baby bottle or a large bottle of lotion. Put this in the center of your platter, and secure eighteen to twenty individually rolled diapers to this layer, and secure it with a large rubber band. Use ribbon to hide the unsightly rubber bands, and the base layer is complete. It should be three layers deep.

The remaining tiers of the diaper cake are constructed in exactly the same way. However, each layer is small than the last. The second layer will use the four ounce bottle or a smaller hygiene product in order to secure the layer. The second layer will be two layers deep, and the third layer will only consist of one layer of diapers.

The next step is to decorate your cake. You can use pre-made decorative sugar decorations to give your cake the “bakery” appearance. Do not use icing or frosting to decorate the diaper cake. Remember, the purpose of these diapers is to be used by a baby, so you will need to decorate accordingly. You can find several decoration ideas just by browsing the baby aisle of your local grocery store.

Making a diaper cake is a fun and unique way to present a new mother with the baby care essentials she will need. Have fun!
By Kristi Patrice Carter