You Won't Want to Eat this Cake, But the Mother-to-Be Will Love It!
The next time you're looking for a creative centerpiece idea for a baby shower, consider creating a diaper cake.
This cake won't be served to the guests for dessert. But this cake will do double duty as a cute centerpiece
and a very practical gift for the new baby. Although storks and bunnies are cute baby shower motifs,
they won't be of much use after the party is over. However, what new baby couldn't use a few extra diapers
stacked up in the nursery?
Follow along with this simple picture tutorial, and you'll see that even those who are baking-challenged
can create this useful cake. Even if you've never turned on an oven in your life, you'll find this cake is as easy as pie to create!

Step 1 - The Supplies You'll Need to Get Started
Here are the supplies you will need to get started "baking" your diaper cake centerpiece:

1. Approximately 50 medium size disposable diapers. The cake I completed used 48 diapers, but since diaper brands vary in size, I'd keep a few extra on hand just in case. You can always give the extras to the mom-to-be.
2. A large platter on which to build the cake. I purchased a 16" disposable cardboard platter in the party store.
3. Approximately 70 feet of narrow ribbon for tying the rolled diapers (1 ft. per diaper), and tying together the tiers.
4. Approximately 8 feet of 1" wide ribbon for finishing the tiers.
5. One tall baby bottle.
6. Small candies to fill the baby bottle.
7. Adhesive tape.
8. Assorted baby necessities such as pacifiers, teething rings, combs, brushes, rattles, bibs, etc.

Step 2 - This step is the most time consuming

1. Cut 48 feet of the narrow ribbon into one-foot lengths.
2. Decide whether you want the printed decoration on the diaper to show on the cake. If you do, roll each diaper from the fold outwards, keeping the decoration on the outside. If not, roll with the decoration on the inside.
3. Tie each rolled diaper with a length of narrow ribbon.

Step 3 - Assemble the Tiers
You will be creating three tiers for this cake. It would be helpful during this part of the process
to have an extra pair of hands helping you hold things together as you tie.
Begin with the top tier.

1. Fill the baby bottle with the purchased candy. Stand five or six diapers around the bottle and tie them tightly around the bottle with a length of narrow ribbon.
2. Create the second tier with approximately 15 diapers. Once again, tie tightly together with the narrow ribbon.
3. Create the third, and largest tier using approximately 27 diapers. To make the tying simpler, first tie an inner circle of diapers together. Then stand the final row of diapers around this circle and tie once again.

Step 4 - Finishing the Cake
Now you're up to the fun part!

1. Place the largest cake tier on the platter. Using several pieces of adhesive tape on the underside of the diapers, tack them to the platter. Don't use so much tape that the diapers will tear when the mother disassembles it.
2. Place the second tier on top of the base and attach with tape to the lower tier.
3. Place the smallest tier on top and attach as you did the other tiers.
4. Tuck the various baby accessories inside the ribbon, all around the cake.
5. Make sure they fit snugly, and tie with more ribbon if necessary to keep them from falling off.
6. Finish the cake with the one-inch ribbon wrapped around each tier to help secure the accessories and provide a finishing touch.