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Diaper Cake Instructions

Marilyn Woodman

www.wrappersandmore.com

Materials you will need:

1 roll	6" x 25 ft. white tulle or organza netting (organza recommended)
1 pack	Newborn disposable diapers – usually a pack of 56, but as few as 49 will do.
1 roll	5/8” organza or satin ribbon--organza recommended--easier to work with.
1 pair	scissors
1 can	Chloroform for those of you who have children, husband, and/or pets. (Oh, lighten up—I’m just kidding!)
1 ea.	Cardboard circle to place your cake on when it’s finished. (optional)
	Bottles, rattles, toys, to tuck into cake when its finished.
Takes about an hour.

Author's Note:

The only instructions I could find for making a diaper cake specified that you roll each individual diaper into a tight roll and fasten it with the rubber band, then take an empty paper towel tube, and using it as a core, place the wrapped diapers around it, then fasten with ribbon. I couldn't make that work properly, and it seemed to take quite a bit of time, so I spent some time developing a different method. I hope that this works as well for you as it did for us; we have done several this way, and it doesn't take any time at all, or require a lot of expertise to do. Please accept my apologies for the photos in advance; I took the pictures (my hand is in one), and I'm no photographer, but fortunately I have a wonderful camera I got as a gift.

Making Your Diaper Cake

	I used the Wal-Mart House brand of newborn disposable diapers; using this method, the diapers will be usable when you are finished.
	Notice that the diapers have two different sides; one is printed and one is not. Also notice that a little flap of plastic sticks out of one side. If you take a good look, you will also see that one side is straighter that the other. As you roll, you are going to tuck in the plastic on the right side, and the printed side will be facing you as you roll, the straight side will be on your left, and the open side will be facing you, as shown on the right.
	Work on a table or on the floor—you will need space. Make sure that you have both your ribbon and your scissors handy before you start. Take your roll of tulle or organza, and unroll about 1 ½ yards. Organza is a little sturdier, but either will do. You want to make sure that you roll as tightly as possible. Lay your first three diapers down, with the open side about an 1” to 1.5” overlapping on both sides of the diaper below it as shown here. Fold a small length of tulle or organza over the open side of the first diaper and start to roll. Use the left side of the tulle to line up the straighter side of the diaper; it’s not hard to do, but it helps if you have a contrasting color on the table or floor so you can see the netting. Do the smallest layer first; it should take about 7 diapers.
	When your first layer is large enough, wind the organza or tulle once around the diapers, cut, and tuck the edge in the top. It will hold nicely, but optionally, you may want to put ribbon around the layer as well. Press it on the floor to make sure that the diapers are in line. If you wish to tuck the lose organza on the top in, do it now. Continue with the other three layers; the second layer should have about 17 to 19 diapers, and use the rest on the bottom layer.
Putting your Diaper Cake Together
	There are several ways to put your cake together. The easiest and a very attractive way to do it is to simply put ribbon from the bottom to the top layer, tying it at the top with a nice bow.
	Another way is to is to take two 12” rulers and gently work them from the top to the bottom layer.
	While I don’t recommend this one, others favor it. You can start rolling with an empty cardboard tube. If you to it by this method, you will have to start with either the very top or the very bottom, and wind the second and third layer in place. I find this awkward to do, but you may like it. A fourth method is to gently work a thin dowel rod (get them from a hardware store--very thin) from the center of the top layer to the bottom. If you did not put anything in the center or sides, you may also want to place your diaper cake on a round piece of cardboard when you’re finished; you can get these in the baking section of craft stores and most kitchenware stores as well. If your cake is already in place, it is easier to transport.

That's it! Tuck small toys, rattles, etc. into the layers of the cake; you'll find that both the diapers and the tulle or organza have quite a bit of "give," even though you were firm when you wound it.

Our sister site, www.thinkwedding.com, sells both organza and tulle rolls in a nice range of colors, and it's not expensive. You only need one roll; look in the bridal section of a craft store. We also sell organza ribbon in a wide range of colors; we recommend 5/8", and it's inexpensive enough that you can get several colors if you wish. Organza ribbon seems to be a little easier to handle than satin, and you can produce a nice bow, even if you're all thumbs. You can also buy organza ribbon on rolls at both craft stores and fabric stores as well. You can also get cardboard circles at a craft store; take a look at the Wilton or cake decorating section, and you'll find it.

Now, you can do something for us. We love to show the diaper cakes that our readers have produced as a result of our instructions; we would love it if you send your pictures to photos@wrappersandmore.com, and be sure an include the details of how you made it, who it was for, and whether or not you want your name and/or city and state included.

You might want to take a look at our towel cakes on our sister site, www.thinkwedding.com/art-wedding_towel_cake.htm. Scroll down and see the wonderful pictures our readers have sent in.