The diaper cake ideas are endless. From traditional tiered diaper cakes to modern shaped diaper cakes there is the one that will catch your eye.
You can use diaper cakes as a centerpiece or give as a gift to one lucky mom-to-be.
Unique diaper cakes, small diaper cakes, round diaper cakes, rectangle diaper cakes, diaper cakes for girls, diaper cakes for boys, you can get a diaper cake to match any baby shower theme.
This article will not only show you how to make a diaper cake but also features 16 awesome diaper cakes with DIY tips.
So, whether you want to make a diaper cake or purchase one, these ideas will inspire you!
This post contains affiliate links, meaning at no extra cost to you, I’ll earn a commission if you make a purchase via my link. Thank you!
If you already know how to make a basic, modern, or rectangle diaper cake and want to jump to the featured diaper cakes just click here.
How To Make A Diaper Cake
With these easy how to make a diaper cake instructions, it won’t take you long to make a cute diaper cake. And the featured diaper cakes will give you plenty of ideas too.
1. Basic Diaper Cake Tutorial Video
Basic instructions on how to make a tiered diaper cake using rolled up diapers.
A cake board with a paper towel roll glued to it make an inexpensive base for the diaper cake. I like how in this tutorial, she does not use tape to hold the diapers together, but temporarily fastens them with little rubber bands.
What a fun centerpiece this is!
2. How To Make A Diaper Cake DIY Tips
a. How many diapers do you need for a diaper cake. Of course, it depends on the size of the cake. Here are basic numbers:
b. Roll up the diapers and tie with a rubber band.
c. Choose your diaper cake support. To support the cake you can use a paper towel roll or you can put any right size surprise inside the diaper cake for the mom-to-be:
- baby shampoo
- baby wash
- candy or baby item filled mason jars
- bottle of flavored water
- best mom ever coffee travel mug
- sparkling juice
- cylinder vase filled with baby items or treats for mom
You could also use dowels to support the cake. If you build the diaper cake tiers without putting anything inside it is helpful to insert three to four dowels through the layers.
d. Use a cake circle or a card board circle as a base. Place your support item in the middle.
e. Arrange the diapers around the item. Secure each tier of diapers with a big rubber band or cord.
f. Tie a decorative ribbon around each layer covering the rubber band. Make it tight. Fasten the ribbon with tape or a pin.
g. Decorate with items to match the baby shower theme.
Diaper Cake Tips
Fun Tip #1: Insert special surprises (wash cloths, socks, nail clippers etc. maybe a few chocolate hugs too) between the diapers for the mom to find when she takes the cake apart.
Fun Tip #2: Roll up onesies, receiving blankets, and mix them with the rolled up diapers to make the tiers.
Fun Tip #3: Wrap the tiers with a receiving blanket.
Fun Tip #4: Use fun embellishments like bows and flowers.
Fun Tip #5: Cover the finished diaper cake with organza or other see through fabric.
Fun Tips #6: Build the diaper cake on top of a shoe box or a round box filled with baby items.
2. Diaper Cake Without Rolling Diapers
Some prefer the look of the modern diaper cake without having to roll up the diapers. While both styles look lovely this one seems little faster to make and the new mom does not have to unroll all the diapers either :).
The downside is that you will need cake pans to make this cake. But if you already have a collection of various size cake pans then it is no big deal.
How to make a diaper cake without rolling the diapers:
3. Mini Diaper Cakes
Small diaper cake is an easy and cheap baby shower decoration or centerpiece idea.
How To Make A Mini Diaper Cake
All you need is 7-9 diapers for each cake.
- Roll up the diapers, tie with a rubber band.
- Tie all the rolled up diapers together with a rubber band.
- Put a decorative ribbon around them.
- And place a fun baby shower theme matching item on top.
4. Square or Rectangle Diaper Cake
Diaper cakes come in various shapes and sizes. If you want to make a square or rectangle cake watch the video above or follow these instructions.
a. Choose your cake board size. Wrap a foam board with wrapping paper or use a cake board.
b. Fold the diapers and stack them together to form rows.
c. Fasten together with a large rubber band or twine.
d. Make as many tiers as you want to.
e. Secure the layers with dowels.
f. Decorate with ribbon, lace, signs and baby items.
You could also put an item in the middle of the bottom tier (or each tier):
- A box of wipes
- Pot of Gold chocolate box
- A box filled with baby items.
5. Diaper Cake Supplies
- White diapers (Amazon) enough for a 3 tier diaper cake and a few small ones to be used as centerpieces.
- Cake Circle (Amazon)
- Rectangle Cake Board (Amazon)
- Best Mom Ever Coffee Travel Mug (Amazon) (put in the middle of the cake as a surprise)
- Cake Pan Set 12 – 9 – 6 (Amazon)
Diaper Cake Ideas
Here are several diaper cake ideas for boys and girls. And a few gender neutral ones as well. I hope that you’ll find here one to your liking.
Use these cute, unique diaper cake ideas as an inspiration to make your own or go ahead, save time and order one.
RELATED POST: 37 BABY SHOWER THEMES FOR BOYS (many of these work for girls too)
1. Shabby Chic Diaper Cake
Absolutely gorgeous shabby chic diaper cake for girls. This gold and pink diaper cake from Cheeky Diaper Cakes goes also well with a boho or gold baby shower theme.
It is very classy and elegant. The beautiful roses and the “Oh Baby” sign add a nice touch. By the way, you can customize the sign!
If pink is not the look you for this baby shower, it also comes as sage green and gold! Lovely diaper cake for a little princess.
2. Little Man Diaper Cake
Good looking diaper cake for the Little Man! A popular baby shower theme for boys. The masculine colors of this cake are just perfect for little man baby shower. You can personalize the sign.
This little man diaper cake for boys is from Baby Cakes and Me.
Little Man Diaper Cake DIY
Wrap the diaper cake DIY tiers with receiving blankets or ribbon of your choice. Add a fun “little man” cake topper (Amazon) to your diaper cake.
Make mustache, bow, and top hat cutouts from cardstock. Attach to a lollipop stick or a dowel and insert into the diaper cake.
Work these items into the diaper cake:
- Ladies I’ve Arrived Outfit (Amazon)
- Mustache Socks (Amazon)
- Top Hat (Amazon)
- Oh Boy Mustache Cake Topper Set (Amazon)
3. Baby Blocks Mini Diaper Cakes
Four mini diaper cakes spelling the word baby. These cute baby blocks from My Curly Love will look amazing on the gift or dessert table. And with several color options from ivory or peach to royal blue there is one that goes with your baby shower.
This is such a lovely baby shower gift too.
4. Buffalo Plaid – Lumberjack Diaper Cake
A fabulous unique diaper cake idea! A diaper cake in a crate! The popular buffalo plaid diaper cake will please the mom-to-be. The awesome rustic look and personalized crate make this diaper cake a real winner.
The solid wood crate can be used as a storage in the nursery.
The lumberjack diaper cake can be purchased from A Rustic Occasion. I like that the buffalo plaid is not overused in it but nicely mixed with other ribbon.
Buffalo Plaid Lumberjack Diaper Cake DIY
Make a circle or rectangular diaper cake. Wrap burlap or buffalo plaid ribbon around the tiers.
Place moose plush toy on the cake. Tie a buffalo plaid ribbon “scarf” around the moose’s neck. Use cute lumberjack/moose onesies to decorate the cake. Or roll them up and mix them with the rolled up diapers.
Make a mini diaper cake. Sit up the moose and put the diaper cake between the legs like the moose was holding it.
5. Spring Flower Mini Diaper Cakes
Spring is in the air! And the flower mini diaper cakes bring it in your baby shower too. Adorn each table with a lovely mini flower diaper cake from Diaper Make Overs. You can request specific colors or get the set as is.
Spring Diaper Cake DIY
Spring flower gender neutral diaper cakes are pretty and easy to make.
Make a mini diaper cake or a 3-tier cake. The top tier should have a paper towel roll in the middle. That way it is easy for you to place silk flowers in it.
Wrap spring colored ribbon around the layers. Or use the popular burlap to give the cake a rustic look.
Buy silk flowers in bulk,Dollar Tree. These blue, purple, pink and white hydrangea flowers work well with this project. So do the colorful spring daisies also from Dollar Tree.
RELATED POST: HOW TO HOST A BABY SHOWER ON SMALL BUDGET
6. Candy Land Diaper Cake DIY
Babies are sweet and a candy land theme would be a cute way to celebrate the new sweet baby girl or boy on the way.
Make your basic diaper cake, wrap bright colored ribbon around the tiers, and add lollipops and other candies to it.
Polka dot and striped ribbon mixed with solid color ribbons look smashing.
This collection of decorative lollipops is from Dazzle Me With Charm. With these lollipops you can make the cutest diaper cake for a candy land baby shower.
For real lollipops you might want to check out Amazon or Party City.
7. Vintage Travel Diaper Cake
WOW! Look at that diaper cake! Amazing unique diaper cake for vintage travel theme baby shower. Loving it!
Globe, compass, charms, treasure chest, towels, diapers… this gender neutral diaper cake from Tiers Of Joy By Us has it all!
It can be hard to take apart an awesome diaper cake but the items will look great in an adventure begins nursery.
Vintage Travel Theme Diaper Cake DIY
Create a masterpiece with globes, compass etc or make a diaper cake gift basket with a vintage suitcase or chest (Amazon).
Fill the chest with a 2-tier diaper cake wrapped with burlap ribbon. Add other items in the chest such as airplane blankets (Amazon), train onesies (Amazon), nautical socks (Amazon), travel toys etc.
RELATED POST: VINTAGE TRAVEL THEME BABY SHOWER – ADVENTURE AWAITS
8. Snowman Diaper Cake
A fantastic winter theme baby shower for boys and girls. Whether you are looking for a diaper cake for a snowgirl or snowboy you can order one from Julies Gifts and Decor. She also has one that is gender neutral.
This cute diaper cake will look fabulous with all the other cool baby it’s cold outside baby shower decorations. In that post you’ll also find fun game and food ideas.
Winter Themed Diaper Cake DIY
Make your winter themed diaper cake in any shape you’d like.
Tie blue and white satin ribbon around the layers.
Decorate the winter diaper cake with snowflakes (wooden, plastic, foam), warm baby mittens, scarves, boots etc. Maybe add a winter themed kids book. Or an ice skate ornament.
9. Butterfly Diaper Cake
Spring or summer butterfly baby shower theme for girls is always in. Get or make a butterfly diaper cake and give as a baby gift or use as the cutest diaper cake centerpiece ever.
The butterfly diaper cake is made with receiving blankets, ribbons, and of course diapers. It is sold by Diaper Make Overs.
Butterfly Diaper Cake DIY
You can of course make your own butterfly diaper cake either in the shape of a butterfly or by putting butterfly and flower decorations on a tiered diaper cake. (From Amazon)
9. Fall Diaper Cake
Falling in love with the baby! A lovely fall themed diaper cake from The Posh Toosh will look amazing at any fall baby shower.
A gender neutral diaper cake to celebrate the mom-to-be and the baby. Use this fall diaper cake as an inspiration in choosing colors and decorations for a fall baby shower.
Fall Diaper Cake DIY
Make one with a pumpkin on top and leaves on each tier. You could make a sign “a little pumpkin is on the way”.
Another fun idea would be to decorate the diaper cake with fall silk flowers such as mums, sunflowers, and rudbeckia (Amazon)
10. Bookworm Diaper Cake
Any booklovers here?
This caterpillar diaper cake from Domestic Diva Designz is a fabulous baby gift or a baby shower centerpiece. Every mom wants books for the baby and this bookworm does not only bring books but also diapers!
Book Themed Diaper Cake DIY
If you are into diaper cake DIY projects you could use a book as a cake board. Or make your own bookworm diaper cake with a few mini diaper cakes and a bug rattle.
Or top a rectangular diaper cake with a book and items related to that book.
For example:
- I Love You To The Moon And Back book with a couple of teddy bears and a moon shaped baby rattle.
- Little Yellow Bee book with a musical pull beehive toy (really cute!)
11. Ballerina Diaper Cake
Whether this tutu diaper cake is for a future ballerina or Frozen princess it will wow the mom-to-be. The lovely tiara and fluffy tutu along with a beautiful ribbon adorn the ballerina – frozen diaper cake from Baby Favors.
Ballerina Diaper Cake DIY
Adorable! Absolutely adorable. These ballet slippers might just inspire you to host a ballerina baby shower.
Making a ballet diaper cake just got easy. Top a a diaper cake DIY with these ballet shoes. Wrap pink ribbon around the layers and attach a cute “baby ballerina” sign to it.
Purchase a pair from Queens Decorations and prepare the cutest decoration for a girl baby shower.
12. Woodland Diaper Cake
Woodland baby shower theme is popular and for a good reason. It is gender neutral and enchanting.
A lovable woodland diaper cake from Cheers To Charming will charm the mom-to-be. I’m sure you can’t wait to see her smile when she sees this precious diaper cake on a rustic wooden slab.
Woodland Diaper Cake DIY
Decorate a DIY diaper cake with forest animal plush toys. Roll up cute woodland onesies and mix them with rolled up diapers. You could also wrap the tiers with woodland receiving blankets.
Print FREE woodland labels on card stock. Tape the labels to dowels or lollipop sticks, or glue them to ribbons and decorate your big or small diaper cakes.
Use the tags as
- cupcake toppers
- favor tags
- place cards
- or as centerpiece sticks.
You can also use them to make Woodland baby shower invitations.
Tree Stump Diaper Cake DIY
Option 1: Make your own unique diaper cake: form a half circle diaper cake around this tree stump plush toy. It is adorable!
Option 2: Create a cool “tree stump” out of diapers. Secure the tiers with dowels. Wrap a brown blanket around the “stump”. Put woodland plush toys on top of the cake and next to it.
13. Mermaid Diaper Cake
Mermaid Diaper Cake from Lindi’s Custom Designs
Another treasured baby shower theme for girls is Mermaid.
Many moms have grown up watching the Little Mermaid and were intrigued by the under the sea world.
A beautiful unique mermaid diaper cake from Lindi’s Custom Design is a fantastic way to celebrate the baby mermaid on the way. This diaper cake for girls is a delight to give to the blessed mom-to-be.
Mermaid Diaper Cake DIY
Make a diaper cake with instructions in the beginning of this post and place this inexpensive but darling mermaid diaper cake topper on it. Finish the cake by wrapping lavender and aqua or pink and aqua ribbon around the layers to match the color options of this beautiful sea shell diaper cake topper.
Inexpensive mermaid cake topper from My Curly Love and use as a centerpiece at a mermaid baby shower or give as a lovely baby gift.
14. Dinosaur On Motorcycle Diaper Cake
This is cool! Dinosaur riding into the sunset with a fabulous diaper motorcycle. You can get this awesome motorcycle diaper cake from Michelle’s Multi Design. Motorcycles aren’t only for boys. Michelle has fun options for girls too.
Motorcycle Diaper Cake DIY
Though my motorcycle diaper cake would end up like a “pinterest fail”, you might want to make one. Looks like a fun project.
If making the motorcycle shaped diaper cake is not your thing either, you can still make a motorcycle themed cake with motorcycle toys, helmet, motorcycle onesies etc.
15. Mary Poppins Diaper Cake
This baby shower theme just might become popular because of the new movie that recently came out. A fun theme that is gender neutral. The unique diaper cake is from Over The Rainbow Arts.
Mary Poppins Diaper Cake DIY
With a fun Mary Poppins hat that you can buy separately, you can make your own Mary Poppins diaper cake. Give it to the lucky mom-to-be who is expecting a baby that is “practically perfect in every way“.
Add to your cake daisies, a spoonful of sugar-teaspoon an umbrella, tea cup and other fun items from the movies.
Practically Perfect In Every Way
You’ll love also this cute “Practically perfect in every way” onesie from Tiny Tearaways. You could fold it the way the the quote shows and attach to a diaper cake or add to any baby gift basket.
16. Elephant Diaper Cake Gift Basket
Elephant Diaper Cake Gift Basket from Gift It By Grace
What an enchanting way to present a collection of lovely baby items. In this elephant baby gift basket you’ll get things like a diaper cake, washcloth lollipops, and baby beanie cupcakes.
You can get the elephant gift basket from Gift It By Grace. The gift basket comes in a variety of colors.
Elephant Diaper Cake DIY
Make a basic diaper cake in any size. Wrap a chevron ribbon (Amazon) around the tiers and add an elephant plush toy (Amazon) on top of the cake or next to it.
How to Make Onesie Cupcakes
Learn how to make onesie cupcakes and add those in your gift baskets or use as a diaper cake decoration. They look cute and are easy to make.
I hope these diaper cake tutorials, diaper cakes to buy, and diaper cake DIY ideas helped you in your search for the perfect baby shower centerpiece or baby gift.
MORE BABY SHOWER IDEAS:
- 27 Unique, Practical, and Cute Baby Gifts
- 40 Cheap Baby Shower Ideas – Host a Baby Shower On A Budget
- 15 Fun But Not Silly Baby Shower Games and Activities
- 37 Baby Shower Themes For Boys (many of these work for girls too)
- Vintage Travel Theme Baby Shower – Hot Air Balloon DIY
MAKE MEMORIES:
- Awesome Luau Party Activities.. These luau party ideas will ensure everyone is having totally fabulous time at your Luau party
- Cool Mermaid Party Ideas. It is time to host a fantastic mermaid party and these ideas will get you started.
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