How to make the perfect Nappy Cake

What is a nappy cake?

A nappy cake is a cake-like structure made out of nappies and decorated with ribbons and flowers or other baby-related things like dummies, shoes or teddy bears. They are a great and creative gift for events like baby showers and Christenings, since they are both decorative and very useful. Nappies cakes are evolving, and you can also make other fun shapes like pushchairs or cars, but we chose to keep it simple with a traditional three-tiered nappy cake.

What size baby nappies should you choose for a nappy cake?

Did you know that during the first 5 months of their lives, a baby can go through 8-12 nappies every day! That’s why a nappy cake is so practical; if you only use elastic bands and ribbon to secure the nappies, the mum-to-be can easily take the nappy cake apart afterwards and use the nappies. Now, you might be tempted to go for size 1 baby nappies, since you are making the nappy cake for a newborn and they use size 1, right? Well, others have probably had the same thought, so the mum-to-be might already have plenty of baby nappies in size 1. Besides the baby can grow out of size 1 and 2 very quickly. We recommend using size 3 or size 4 baby nappies, since the larger sizes will also be easier for you to roll.

What do you need to make a nappy cake?

 

 

• Baby nappies – depending on the size and shape you choose for your cake, you will probably need between 40-70 nappies
• Cardboard rolls from kitchen towels, toilet paper or wrapping paper
• Round cake tins or casserole dishes in different sizes
• Rubber bands
• Scissors
• Ribbons
• Other decorations
• A base – like a tray, cake stand or maybe a clean slice of wood if you’re going for a rustic look
• Some wooden skewers or dowels to secure the layers on top of each other
• If you have chosen very thick ribbon, you might also need a glue gun to secure the ribbon

 

Here’s how to make a DIY nappy cake step-by-step:

1. Start by arranging 4-5 nappies in your largest cake tin or dish, overlapping them slightly.

2. Keep adding nappies to make the tier tighter.

3. You should be left with a circular space in the middle of your tier. Roll 2-3 nappies together to finish the tier. We rolled the nappies around a cardboard roll for a little added stability and fullness.

4. Secure your nappies with elastic bands – the cake tin should give you free hands. You can use both heavy duty bands or thinner bands, but just make sure to use enough to keep the nappies firmly together. You can now remove your first tier from the cake tin.

5. For the second tier, follow steps 1-4 again, using your second size tin to measure.

6. For the third tier, again follow steps 1-4, using your smallest tin.

7. Now it’s time to assemble the cake. If your tiers cannot stand by themselves, or if you just want some added security for transportation, you can stick wooden skewers in between the tiers to keep them together.

8. To decorate the cake, tie your ribbon of choice around each tier to hide the rubber bands. If you have chosen additional decorations, arrange them on top of and around the cake.

 

9. Place the finished nappy cake on your tray of choice and you’re finished!

 

 

There you have it! The perfect gift for the mother-to-be at any baby shower. Are you looking for other great gift ideas for a baby shower? Check out our other blog post with Five great gift ideas for baby showers.