How to Make a Diaper Cake for a Baby Shower

Learn how to make a diaper cake for a baby shower with diapers, ribbon, and a cute topper. A fun DIY baby shower gift and centerpiece.

A diaper cake is such a fun and practical baby shower gift because it looks adorable, but it is also filled with something every new parent will need. This colorful diaper cake is topped with a sweet stuffed elephant and decorated with bright ribbons and soft fabric rings, making it a cute centerpiece for a baby shower.

If you’re looking for a creative baby shower gift that feels special without being difficult to make, a diaper cake is a great choice. You can customize the colors, ribbons, stuffed animal, and baby items to match the shower theme or nursery. It also makes a wonderful gift for a new mom or dad because the diapers can be taken apart and used after the celebration.

What Is a Diaper Cake?

Explain that it’s a decorative baby shower gift made from diapers and arranged to look like a tiered cake. The diapers are actually useful, so the finished “cake” is both a centerpiece and a practical gift.

Cupcakes and Cookies

Why should you make a diaper cake?

It’s a fun way to give a gift. A diaper cake is one of those baby shower gifts that looks impressive but is actually pretty simple to put together. It doubles as a decoration for the gift table and gives the new parents something they can actually use.

What You Need to Make a Diaper Cake

I’d have an actual list here, even if the original post doesn’t currently have one.

• Diapers
• Rubber bands
• Ribbon or string
• Cardboard or cake board
• Baby items for decorating
• Baby toy or stuffed animal for the top
• Optional baby shower decorations

How to Make a Diaper Cake

• 1. Arrange the Diapers
• 2. Build the Bottom Tier
• 3. Add the Second Tier
• 4. Add the Top Tier
• 5. Secure the Tiers
• 6. Add Ribbon and Decorations
• 7. Finish the Top of the Diaper Cake

How Many Diapers Do You Need for a Diaper Cake?

Small diaper cake: about 30 diapers
Medium diaper cake: about 50 diapers
Large diaper cake: about 80 to 100 diapers

I used size 2 Huggies diapers

I started by fanning out some diapers like you do with deck of cards and secured them with a ribbon (or use a string)

This is a simplified version of diaper cakes I’ve seen with each individual diaper rolled small and fixed with rubber bands.
Three reasons this diaper cake is not made with rubber bands.

1. I don’t think rolling 100 diapers would be fun
2. I didn’t think giving a gift that you’d have to work so hard to unwrap would be fun
3. The thought of 100 messy, unrolled, crinkled diapers you couldn’t stack would also be messy! Who needs more messes when you have a new baby!

This method is simple and easy to assemble and take apart.

Two tiers down and I wasn’t sure how many to go…

Then I was on the third tier, and about 10 diapers for the top.

So 4 tiers all together. Adjust the diapers for the amount of layers you want.

TIP:
You want the diapers snug, or they will fall out of place and look messy.

Cover the thin ribbon or string with a thick ribbon to make the exterior look pretty.

I used a pin to secure the ribbon to a straight pin (or a staple would work). The pin I wove into the ribbon so it was not sticking into a diaper.

I was looking for an elephant top for the top and found this cute one. Top it with a rattle, baby bottle or stuffed animal.

What to put the diaper cake on for easy carrying

I pinned a piece of ribbon on the back of the toy and looped it down to attach to the ribbon on the top tier.

The whole cake is placed on a piece of cardboard to carry it easily.

I used size 2 diapers so it would not have to be taken apart right away and wrote the size diaper on the cardboard.

The assembly took me just about 20 minutes.

This was well received. It looks fun and impressive, and everyone commented on it. I loved making it as I feel the personal touches are always more fun than just wrapping a purchased item.

These are the cupcakes and cookies I made for the baby shower as well.