Make your own nappy cake

How to Make a Diaper Cake – DIY Instructions

When a family welcomes a new baby, it’s a fantastic opportunity to show the new parents how happy you are for them with a thoughtful gift. Often, however, most of the essentials have already been purchased during pregnancy, so you can assume that the "basics" are already available. So what should you give?

A homemade diaper cake is the perfect gift idea: you can never have enough diapers (especially high-quality ones). Beautifully assembled into a diaper cake, decorated with small gifts and perhaps wrapped in sparkling cellophane, it is not only a real eye-catcher but also a practical and highly appreciated gift. Whether homemade or purchased when time is short, a diaper cake is also a wonderful gift idea for a baby shower.

How can you make a diaper cake?

It’s actually quite simple, although, like any craft project, it requires a little skill and creativity. You can find plenty of beautiful homemade diaper cake ideas online – and of course, we also have lots of inspiration for beautiful diaper cakes in our shop.

Diaper Cake Instructions: What Do You Need and How Does It Work?

The list of materials needed to make or “bake” a diaper cake is fairly simple. The key question: How many diapers do you need for a diaper cake?

• Diapers, size 1–3, approximately 50 pieces

And what else?

• A large piece of cardboard or

  a cake board as a base

• A pretty bottle

• Scissors and pins

• Small rubber bands, approx. 3 cm, 70 pieces

• Large rubber bands, approx. 8 cm, 8 pieces

• Colourful fabric ribbons and bows

• Matching gift wrapping paper

• Small baby gifts

1. Create the Diaper Cake Base

To ensure that the diaper cake stands securely and can be transported easily, we first create a sturdy base. Take a large piece of cardboard and cut it into a circle. A diameter of approximately 35 cm is recommended. To make it more attractive, you can cover the cardboard with beautiful wrapping paper.

Alternatively, you can use a cake stand or a decorative tray as the base. This also doubles as an additional gift for the expectant or new parents.

2. Roll the Diapers

Once the base is ready, start rolling all the diapers. Open and turn each diaper over. Roll them up so that the printed side is on the inside. This way, all the diapers will appear uniformly white. Secure each roll with a small rubber band so it doesn’t unroll. A lovely diaper cake idea is to place small baby socks over some of the diapers, creating a more varied and playful look.

3. Stack the Diapers

Now it’s time to start stacking the diapers, beginning with the bottom tier. Place a bottle or an empty paper towel roll in the centre of the cake base to stabilise the diaper cake.

Next, place a large rubber band around the bottle and begin inserting a row of diapers between the bottle and the rubber band. The first row will completely surround the bottle. Then add a second row of diapers around the first using another large rubber band, followed by a third row.

The first tier of the diaper cake is now complete. For an extra surprise when unpacking the diaper cake, you can hide small baby gifts such as baby powder or baby wipes in the spaces between the diapers.

The second and third tiers are made in exactly the same way as the first, just with fewer diapers.

4. Decorate the Diaper Cake

Once all the diapers have been arranged into a cake, it’s time to decorate. Take a wide fabric ribbon and cut it to the appropriate length. Wrap it around each tier of the cake. This provides additional support and looks fantastic while hiding the rubber bands.

You can secure the ribbons with pins or tie them into a beautiful bow.

Using ribbons in different colours can add even more visual appeal and enhance the overall look. Combining ribbons of different widths also offers additional design possibilities.

Stuffed animals or baby bottles make wonderful cake toppers. If the included gifts are personalised with the baby’s name, the gift becomes even more special and meaningful. We wish the new parents lots of joy with their homemade diaper cake.

And if you don’t feel like making a diaper cake yourself, you’ll find a large selection of ready-made diaper cakes in our shop.