Published: February 04, 2008 09:18 am            

MOMMY & ME: How to make a diaper cake

Ahh, love is in the air — or at least, love was in the air about six or seven months ago.

Besides me, several of my good friends also are expecting babies in the spring and summer. Most of us are on Round Two (we’re having our second babies) but one friend has lapped us all and is on to Round Three — also known as The Round When the Babies Outnumber Mommy and Daddy.

A scary thought, yes, but exciting nonetheless.

As is becoming tradition in our group of friends, we will be having a diaper shower for the mom-to-be-again. A diaper shower is a small gathering of close friends and family to celebrate the upcoming birth of a family’s second or third or — God forbid — fourth baby.

There is no gift registry to shop from, no obnoxiously cute games to play with toilet paper. Just a few women, a few drinks and a few packs of diapers for the guest of honor. (I am particularly looking forward to the “few drinks” part of the diaper shower, which will be held shortly after the birth of Baby Wahler No. 2.)

If you know a mom who is expecting again, consider hosting a diaper shower for her. Assuming her first baby is still just a toddler, she likely has all the baby gear she’ll need — except diapers.

A great way to dress up your diaper shower is to present them in the form of a diaper cake. As one of the “uncraftiest” people you’ll ever meet/encounter in a newspaper column once a week, I can assure you that these are really easy to make.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

About 60 diapers — cloth or disposable, depending on the mom’s preference

50-60 rubber bands

About 10 large rubber bands

One 4-ounce bottle

One large bottle of baby lotion or shampoo

One plastic cake circle (a 12- to 14-inch diameter should suffice)

Straight pins (I used pins with pastel-colored beads on the head)

Ribbon, about 1/2 inch to 1 inch wide. (If you can, pick one to match the nursery theme or baby’s sex.)

Extras: pacifiers, bibs, teething rings, spoons, baby socks, etc.

DIRECTIONS

Roll the diapers tightly, starting from the top and rolling to the bottom. Secure in the center with a small rubber band.

Place the bottle of lotion or shampoo in the center of the cake circle, and put about six or seven diapers in a circle around the lotion. Secure the entire ring with a large rubber band.

Next, put an middle and then an outer ring of diapers around the inner ring, again securing each ring with a large rubber band. At this point, you will have used about 35 to 40 diapers for the first tier, and the bottle of lotion will be sticking up in the middle.

Wrap the ribbon tightly around the outer ring of diapers to hide the rubber bands. Secure the ribbon in the back of the cake with a few straight pins.

Make the second tier in the same manner as the first, except this time putting only two rings around the bottle of lotion. Secure the second tier to the first with a few straight pins.

For the top tier, place the 4-ounce bottle on the table and put the final ring of diapers around it. Once you’ve wrapped a large rubber band and ribbon around this ring, place the tier on top of the cake and fasten it to the second tier with straight pins.

Decorate the cake with as many or as few garnishes as you like.

News on events and products related to moms of infants and young children is always welcome. Contact Laura Wahler at 693-1000, ext. 126.

        

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