DIY: diaper cake

I've got a whole slew of DIY projects coming your way. Some were completed months ago (like the one I'm sharing today!) that I've just forgotten to post, and others were completed this past (productive) weekend. Anyhow...here's the diaper cake that I know all (3) of you are dying to hear about.

Obviously, this is one of those do-it-yourselves that is pretty easy for anyone to accomplish, without instructions. But, I'm sharing anyway! I have mixed feelings about diaper cakes...some people consider them super cheesy, yet I think they're a pretty practical gift. And the diaper cake fit the theme that we were going with perfectly. My best friend from when we were in diapers (ha...get it...) is having a baby! Unfortunately, Kathryn lives 5+ hours away, so planning a baby shower was a bit of a feat, working around her schedule of trips home. Finally, we decided that we'd settle on a super low key, fun, girls night at one of our favorite restaurants, Luigi's. Maybe it wasn't an official shower, but it needed to be known that we were celebrating. The diaper cake would be the centerpiece.

I'm a big believer that if you can do something yourself, you need to. So, here are the steps to completion...

Step 1: Find a base for your diaper cake. Start rolling diapers, placing them in a circular shape. I used an elastic rubberband to keep my diapers in the position that I wanted, working the additional diapers into the group in the shape I wanted. I also made sure to turn the colorful part of the diapers to the inside, to keep my cake white. Once the base layer was completed, I tied it off with twine (in case the rubberband busted).

*One thing to note: I checked Kathryn's registry and purchased the diapers that she wanted. That's important to do if you actually want them to use the diapers and not be a waste!

Step 2: This was when I realized that I needed a "backbone" for the cake to keep the layers from sliding. I simply took out the middle diaper, and replaced it with a cardboard tube.

Repeat step 1, with a few less diapers, to make the second layer as large/small as you'd like.

Step 3: Once again, repeat step 1, using even few diapers to make this layer even smaller.

Step 4: Finish off with some ribbon, a bow, and possibly a monogram. Whatever floats your boat!
I also made some votives out of baby food jars (that were emptied and cleaned), filled with jelly beans and a tea light, wrapped in ribbon. Unfortunately, I didn't get a great picture of that, so you'll have to use your imagination. The best part...Kathryn was craving jelly beans that night. :)