DIY Diaper Cake

I was cleaning off my desk the other day and came a crossed an invitation to my friends baby shower that I had completely forgotten about.
Panic starts to set in!
Oh, holy crap!!!  What in the world am I going to do with no time or budget to pick up a great gift?
I'm always so thoughtful and creative and I feel as if I ALWAYS have to be when giving gifts and plus it's for someone that was very thoughtful at my baby shower.  I was excited about it when I first received the invitation but with lack of much needed sleep, my 1 year old running circles around me all day and trying to get all my house hold chores done it had easily slipped my mind.  What was I to do with "no notice"?  I need time to budget myself, save money, figure out what the mother to be needs and/or wants, plan what and how to present my gift, should I buy and put everything into a basket, tray, diaper bag, I GOT IT!  A DIAPER CAKE!
It's cheap, easy and fool proof!!!

I could only afford to spend $25.00.  Yikes, that doesn't seem like a lot of money when we're talking about a baby shower gift.  Everyone knows how expensive baby stuff is unless you're a smart shopping, budgeting Momma like myself.

I went to Dollar General.  Yes, I bought supplies for a baby shower gift at the dollar store.
Don't judge, be impressed!
Diaper cakes are super simple and easy.

The supplies that you'll need are:
(These are the items I bought today that were suited to the mother to be needs, but you can pretty much get whatever. Your options are endless!)

Diapers, (I used 50 diapers.) (the bigger count of diapers you buy the bigger your cake.)
Baby Wipes,
Bordeaux's Butt Paste,
Healthcare Kit, (medicine spoon, thermometer, nose cleaner, nail clippers, etc.)
Teething Ring,
Teething Tablets,
Rubber Bands, (make sure you have enough for each diaper and a few extra.)
Card Board,
Pen,
Scissors,
Card Board from a Toilet Paper Roll or Paper Towel Roll,
(paper towel roll is going to be your better option.)
Duct Tape,
Ribbon,
Curling Ribbon,
Card Stock
Gift Bag,
Tissue Paper.

Keep in mind, this isn't the "only" way to make a diaper cake, it's just the way I was able to make mine.  I used what I had around the house so I could save some pennies. 
No harm, no shame.  It's what the mother to be needs and it looks really cute, so who cares.

Instructions:

Start out by rolling up the diapers.  You'll want to lay the diaper front side down and with the top part of the diaper closest to you and roll and use a rubber band to keep them secure.  Depending on how big your rubber bands are you may have to wrap them around the diaper and couple of times.  I only needed to wrap it twice and be sure that the rubber band is in the middle of diapers.

I used 16 diapers for my top layer and 34 diapers for my bottom layer.
If you're making a cake just like mine take 16 already rolled up diapers and rubber band them all together with 1 rubber band.  The rubber band needs to lay a crossed the rubber bands on the diapers.  There's no need to wrap the rubber band twice around the layers, it should be secure enough to keep them all together.
And then do the same to the other 34 rolled up diapers.
Make sure that the outside of your layers aren't showing the ending rolled edge of the diapers.
It's easier to rubber band your rolls together and then turn any diaper rolls around. 
This way the cake will have a clean, even look to it.
(See the 5th picture down from here to see what I mean.)


You'll need a platform for the bottom layer of your cake so when you pick it up it won't fall apart.
I didn't have anything special around the house so I used a card board diaper box that my sons diapers came in.
I broke the box down at the glued areas and opened it and laid it flat.
I then took my 34 ct. bottom layer of diapers and set it on top of the box and drew a circle around the layer as close to it as I could possibly get without getting ink on the diapers.
You could use a pencil for your circle outline but I wanted to be able to clearly see my marking.

Cut out your circle outline.
You'll want to cut about 1 - 2 inches inside and all the way around your circle, that way you won't be able to see the card board when you put your bottom layer over it.

Then you'll duct tape a toilet paper or paper towel roll in the middle of your card board circle.

My toilet paper roll is actually centered, my circle is just a bit lop sided because my scissors broke and I had to use a knife to cut my platform out.

 

I used a toilet paper roll because I didn't have a paper towel roll.  Toilet paper rolls are long/short enough for 1 layer.  Since I didn't have a paper towel roll.  I cut off one of the longer flaps on the diaper box that I used to make my circle platform.  I then bent the flap long ways to try and make a rod and rubber banded both ends together.  I slipped my "card board rod" into the toilet paper roll hole, and placed the top layer of diapers over the "rod". 
Try to center the card board the best you can in the middle of your diapers.

This is where it gets really fun!
Wrap your ribbon around the middle of each layer where you have your rubber band line and tie a pretty bow.

I then put the Teething Tablets on the top front of the bottom layer and tucked the top flap part of the box under the top layer bow. (Look at the picture and you'll see what I mean.)
I also had a few tiny plastic clothes pins that a friend gave me for my baby shower, I clipped them on the box flap and the top part of the bow on the top layer so it looks like there at holding up the box.
I also clipped tiny plastic baby bottles with ribbons glued to them onto the bottom layer bow with the tiny clothes pins.
You don't have to use embellishments, I did because I had them laying around the house.

I then took the Bordeaux's Butt Paste and stuffed it down the middle of the top layer of diapers right above where my "card board rod" is and then set the Teething Ring tilted on the front of it.

Last but not least.
I made a little note card to put on the cake.
I measured out a 3"x6" Card Stock strip and folded it in half and I recently bought a fancy little Martha Stewart paper punch (on clearance and saved $10. on it at Hobby Lobby!  I love a great deal!!!) and with the card folded in half I punched along the top and bottom edges of the card.
I then punched a small hole in the side of it by the fold line with a hole punch and tied it to the top layer bow with curling ribbon.  Honestly you could use any type of ribbon or string that you have around the house.  Remember, saving pennies is a good thing...  For anyone.

That's it.  The diaper cake is finished and for the Baby Wipes and Healthcare Kit...
I didn't have enough room on the cake for them so I put them in a gift bag with tissue paper that I also had laying around the house and made a tag that looks the same as the one on the diaper cake and a pretty curling ribbon bow and put them on the gift bag..

 

I really like it when I'm able to save little things like gift bags, ribbons, party embellishments, etc. etc.  I recommend it to everyone as long as you have a place to keep it neatly organized.  If you're not organized about little things like that then when the time comes to use it you probably won't be able to find it.  So therefore, what's the point in having it if not to use?
I'm not the most organized person (lack of space) but I do keep all my party embellishments and supplies all together so I'll know exactly where I find them.
Thank God too, I would have spent more money then what my budget called for or wouldn't have been able to get my friend as much stuff as I did.

I hope this tutorial has inspired you in same way.