How to Make a Lovely Baby Shower Cake

Baby shower cakes are terrific centerpieces for showers. Guests always laugh when they see one and the expectant mom is thrilled to receive a very useful gift. They're also called diaper cakes because diapers are the main ingredient. It is quite easy to make one. Check out the detailed instructions below.

The ingredients for your baby shower cake

Here's the list of items you need for your cake:

• Naturally, you'll need disposable diapers. How many? Assuming you want to make a medium size diaper cake, you'll need around 45 -- 55. You can't be sure of exactly how many until you make the cake. Any diapers left over can always be handed over to mommy-to-be.
• Your baby shower cake needs a base. Get a platter of metal, cardboard, or other materials that are reasonably stiff. Choose one that's about 14" -- 16".
• Buy a 10 foot length of 1" wide ribbon and about 60 to 80 feet of narrower ribbon. The latter is for tying individual diapers into rolls.
• Every diaper cake needs a focal point. The most commonly used one is a baby bottle.
• Rather than use an empty baby bottle, fill it with something edible. You could buy or make small chocolates shaped like various baby items, packed individually. Candies are another possible choice.
• Get other cute, useful items for babies. Such as pacifiers, teething rings, bibs, socks, baby hair brushes, small sized soap and shampoo and so on.
• Procure good quality, clear cellophane to provide the final wrapping. Get additional ribbons for tying bows at the top of the cellophane wrapping, if you so prefer.
• Have adhesive tape available.

Baking the diaper cake -- putting it all together

While making a baby shower cake is quite easy, it does require a bit of patience. But the end result is certainly worth it! Plus the fact that you made it yourself creates a terrific impact.

While following through these instructions, have someone help you. It will get done faster.

The first thing to do is to tie each diaper individually into a roll. Cut a foot length of the narrow ribbon. Roll up a diaper and secure it by tying the ribbon around it. Do the same for all remaining diapers. If you're working alone, you may want to spread this out over more than one sitting.

Next, you'll create three tiers. You can vary the number of tiers to make a cake of the size you prefer.

We'll make the top tier first, which is the smallest. Fill the baby bottle with wrapped chocolates, candies or whatever other item you've obtained. Arrange rolled diapers around the bottle.

You'll use about 5 -- 7 diapers; place them around the bottle in a standing position. Pack them tightly. Secure the diapers into place by tying a length of narrow ribbon around them. That completes the top tier.

Next, create the middle tier using about 13 -- 18 diapers. Make a small circle of about 5 -- 8 diapers and tie them together like you did above. Then stand 13 -- 18 diapers in a circle around this smaller circle; secure them by tying a ribbon around them. This completes the middle tier of your cake.

To make the bottom tier, just repeat this process with about 25 -- 35 diapers.

Finishing the perfect baby shower cake

You're well on your way to making the perfect cake! By now, you should be able to anticipate the thrill of presenting it to mommy!

The next step is to secure the bottom tier onto the platter. Do this with pieces of adhesive tape. Don't use too much tape, because then the diapers become unusable. Next, fix the other two layers similarly one on top of the other. The tier with the bottle at the center goes on top, of course.

Put in all those adorable baby items you bought -- pacifiers, hair brush, teething ring, etc. Fix all of these onto the cake. How? Tuck them into the ribbons you used to secure each tier. Use additional ribbons if necessary.

And now, for the grand finale!

Transform your baby shower cake into a magical thing of beauty by using cellophane and ribbons. Spread a cellophane sheet on a flat surface, place the cake in the center. Gather up the edges of the cellophane and bunch it up artistically at the top (well, with as much art as you can manage -- it will look great anyway!). Use ribbons to tie a cute bow.

Now step back, and admire your creation! And be prepared for oohs and aahs from mom-to-be and guests at the baby shower!

About the Author

Jessika Ryder is a successful business writer and party enthusiast providing valuable information on baby showers. Her numerous articles provide tips on diaper cakes, party planning, etiquette and other aspects of these celebrations.

ABC News
Babies in 'Baby Borrowers' may suffer from separation
Indianapolis Star, United States - Jul 3, 2008
The program purports to teach teens how to be parents by having them take care of a baby or toddler for three days. Unfortunately, the program misses the ...
American Academy Of Child And Adolescent Psychiatry Calls NBC To ... Medical News Today (press release)
Psychiatrists Accuse Ben Silverman of Stealing Babies New York Magazine
all 11 news articles

Happy 60th to NHS: you saved my baby
Liverpool Echo, UK - 12 hours ago
If she had been back in 1948, toddler Naomi Mallett would not have survived. But today, as the NHS marks its anniversary, her parents Ellie and Graeme, ...

Times Online
How to survive a holiday with friends and their children
Times Online, UK - Jul 4, 2008
Toddlers and babies, who communicate with whacks and hits, don't always holiday well together and their naps rarely coincide. “Over-fives are more flexible ...

Check out what's going on at West Pasco libraries
Tampabay.com, FL - 13 hours ago
Toddler storytime: 10 am Thursdays through Aug. 28. For children ages 1 to 2. Call to register. Preschool storytime: 10:45 am Thursdays through Aug. 28. ...
See what's happening at East Pasco libraries Tampabay.com
all 3 news articles

By: Becka Marsch, Parent Educator, Licensed Baby, Toddler, and ...
Carolina Newswire (press release), NC - Jun 10, 2008
... a baby's intellect, increase self-esteem and happiness, reduce fussiness and temper tantrums, improve problem-solving skills, and help toddlers get ...

Babies, ugly dogs have day in Norman park
NewsOK.com (subscription), OK - Jul 3, 2008
By Tami Althoff Activities will begin at noon and include a baby crawl and toddler trot, free watermelon, vendor booths and other games, contests and ...

Getting Real
New York Times, United States - Jul 3, 2008
In the back of my closet, I have a box filled with baby and toddler clothes that I will never give away. I have our board book copies of “The Runaway Bunny” ...

Annapolis Capital
AAMC delivering multiple multiples
Annapolis Capital, MD - 15 hours ago
... had with her toddler son, Tadhg. She felt full and heavy, which was how she felt when she carried twins years before, but those babies didn't survive. ...

Boston Globe
A Case Of Stolen Formula
Washington Post, United States - Jun 25, 2008
By the time the fifth episode rolls around, the babies and toddlers and preteens have been replaced by -- sheesh -- teenagers, and whatever credibility the ...
Reality merges with boring on new TV show 'The Baby Borrowers' Dallas Morning News
Putting teens in the parenting playpen Minneapolis Star Tribune
‘Baby Borrowers’ and ‘Hopkins’: Summer Reality TV Primer, Part 2 Wall Street Journal Blogs
Globe and Mail - The Gazette (Montreal)all 135 news articles

CNN International
Surviving a flight with your baby or toddler
CNN International - Jun 19, 2008
By Debra Alban (CNN) -- Flying with a baby or toddler can have its fair share of turbulence. From finding a place to change diapers to keeping your child ...

Wind Chimes and more...

Windchimes for great gifts!

14 Steps To Reducing Your Infants Reflux