Two Easy Ways to Make a Nappy Cake Plus Decorating Ideas

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An easy step-by-step guide to creating a diaper cake centerpiece for a baby shower

Co-authored by Sophia Bell

Last Updated: October 15, 2024 Fact Checked

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Looking for a beautiful and practical gift for an expectant parent? A diaper cake is the perfect option. Plus, it’s actually pretty quick and easy to make—and super fun to decorate! We’ve created a simple tutorial to walk you through how to make a diaper cake using either the roll method or the wrap method. We’ll even give ideas and inspiration for decorating the cake to create the perfect baby shower centerpiece. Ready? Let’s get crafting!

Things You Should Know

Roll up 50-75 diapers and put a rubber band around each one. Arrange about half of the diapers in a circle around a center support, like a paper towel roll.
Secure the bottom tier with rubber band or string. Repeat the process twice more to create 3 tiers, making each tier slightly smaller than the one below it.
Cover the rubber bands around each tier with ribbon. Add flowers or small gifts (like pacifiers and rattles) to the cake for decoration, and top it with a cute stuffed animal.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Rolled-Up Diaper Cake

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1
Roll up 50-75 diapers. Choose newborn diapers so the parents can use them right away, or go with size 1 or 2 so they have diapers on hand when the little one gets bigger. Simply take a diaper out of the package, roll it up starting at the “open” top end, and wrap a small rubber band around it.^{[1]
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- Feel free to make your cake with either disposable or cloth diapers.
- Buying diapers with a colorful design will enhance the fun look of the cake.^{[2]
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Use a cake stand, plastic tray, pizza pan, cardboard circle, or charger plate as the base for your cake. Place an empty paper towel roll, wine bottle, baby bottle, or even a bottle of baby shampoo or lotion in the center of the base to act as a support for your cake.^{[3]
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3
Arrange diapers around the center support to form the first tier. Keep layering diapers around the center support until it’s totally surrounded. Secure the first tier by wrapping a large rubber band around all of the diapers.^{[4]
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- Plan to use about half of the diapers for the first tier. Then, use about two-thirds of the diapers you have left for the second tier and the remaining third for the top tier.
Simply arrange the diapers around the center support to form another tier with a slightly smaller circumference than the first one. Wrap a large rubber band around all of the diapers in the second tier when you’re done.^{[5]
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Place the diapers in a circle around the center support on top of the second tier. Secure them with a rubber band to keep them all in place.^{[6]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Wrap-Around Diaper Cake

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Use a circular piece of cardboard, plastic tray, cake stand, or even a pie tin for the base. For the center support, use an empty roll of paper towels, a baby bottle, or even a wine bottle for a nice surprise the parents can enjoy after the baby is born.^{[7]
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2
Overlap the first tier of diapers around the center support. Place one diaper so that it is lying horizontally along the center support. Place another diaper the same way so that it overlaps the first. Repeat this process so that you form overlapping layers of diapers around the paper towels. Secure the base layer by wrapping a large rubber band (or tying a piece of string) around all of the diapers.
- You’ll need a full box of diapers to create a 3-tier cake. Feel free to use any brand or size of diapers you like. Even cloth diapers could work!
3
Repeat this process to form the second tier. Wrap the diapers horizontally around the center support on top of the first layer. Make the circumference of this tier a little smaller than the bottom tier. Secure the diapers with a rubber band or piece of string when you’re done.
- Use about half of the diapers to create the first layer, then two-thirds of the rest of the diapers for the second tier and the remaining diapers for the top tier.
Make this layer the smallest in circumference. Use a rubber band or piece of string to secure the diapers in place when you’re finished.^{[8]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Decorating Ideas

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1
Wrap ribbon around each tier to hide the rubber bands. Choose a wide ribbon that matches either the colors or theme of the baby shower. Wrap one piece around each tier of diapers and secure it with double-sided tape.^{[9]
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- Go with pink ribbon for a girl or blue ribbon for a boy for a traditional look.
- Opt for a gender-neutral color like yellow or green for any diaper cake.
- Choose a printed ribbon to stay on theme, like red gingham for a baby shower picnic or a dinosaur-printed ribbon for a dino party.
2
Place decorative embellishments on the cake. Stick fake flowers into the diapers for a sweet look. For a practical and adorable option, place baby toys or accessories like pacifiers, baby rattles, or baby travel toiletries in the top of the diapers around the edge of each tier or behind the ribbon. Top the cake with a sweet stuffed animal or a teeny pair of baby booties for a finishing touch.^{[10]
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- For a unicorn-themed cake, cut some pretty eyelashes out of black paper and attach them to the top tier with tape or glue. Add a unicorn horn and some ears to the top of the cake as a finishing touch.
- Keeping it classic? Grab some rubber ducks in various sizes and styles and place them around and on top of the cake.
- For a serene garden theme, stick pretty succulents around each tier, plus a few at the top.
- Secure the topper with a safety pin or tie it in place with ribbon, if needed.
Use a cellophane bag or some pretty tulle to show off your design. Tie it together at the top of the cake with a bow, and voila!

Community Q&A

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Can I still make this for a friend if I'm not the one hosting her baby shower?

wikiHow Staff Editor
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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

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Of course! It would be a lovely gift to bring to the baby shower as a guest.

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How many nappies do I need?

Sandra 'Garman' Hoffarth

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I did the first method (the rolled cake). I used almost a full bag (35) of newborn size for the middle and top tiers and then almost another full bag (35) of the size 1 for the bottom tier. The ones I used were Pampers Saddlers, not sure if that makes a difference or not. From start to finish it took about an hour. Not bad, and it's pretty!

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How do you attach the base cake layer to the cardboard underneath?

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You won't secure it down as you will want the diapers to be able to be used. Once the entire cake is assembled well, it's easy to move. However, I start mine with a paper towel tube glued in the center of the round cardboard piece, and build up around it. This helps with stability all the way up. Use hot glue as it holds better.

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Things You'll Need

Diapers (50-75)
Rubberbands (small and large)
Circular tray or cardboard base
Paper towel roll or bottle for the center support
Ribbon
Double-sided tape
Decorations (like pacifiers, rattles, baby booties, or a stuffed animal)
Cellophane bag or tulle

Tips

Remember that though the parents will need newborn diapers right away, they will probably be getting a lot of newborn diapers as gifts already, so consider using a larger size diaper or a variety of sizes.

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Size 1 diapers are useful for a longer period of time than newborn diapers, as they may be worn from birth to roughly four months, while newborn diapers are usually only worn for a few weeks.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Hide fun surprises inside like alcohol for after the birth or gift cards or movie tickets for a date night. Get creative with it and put in something you know the parents will like.
You can decorate the diaper cake with other useful things such as: shoes, butt powder/ointment, a brush, baby nail clippers, headbands, etc. It will be really useful and creative.

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