Quick and Easy Diaper Cake

Quick and Easy Diaper Cake

Wrap ‘n Roll Cello Method Cuts Cost of Labor

Customers LOVE diaper cakes . . . but these days, who has the time to make them? With tight rolling, a diaper cake can take an hour or more to complete. Plus, if customers really began to think about it, the diapers could be packing a lot of germs that could be passed on by the hands-on rolling of the diapers. Both of those problems can be solved in this design, which uses fewer diapers, less labor time, and a double fold of cello, insuring that diapers are kept sanitary.

Supplies:

• 9 disposable diapers

• 1 white round box

• Pink polka dot cello

• Ribbon

• 2 one-inches in width strips of poster board by twice the diameter of the round box

• Shrinkwrap

Step 1: Rolling the Diapers in Cello

Cut 5 strips of cello twice the width of the diapers, plus inches, and three to four inches longer than the length of the stretched diaper. Place the diaper, inside up, against the left side of the cello strip. Fold the cello over, creating a protective covering for the diaper. Using your right hand to hold the diaper, reach with the left hand (under the cello) and pull the diaper somewhat taunt (you do not need to pull the diaper completely straight as is required in traditional diaper cakes). With the right hand, begin rolling the diaper and cello. Turn any ragged edges of cello under, and tape the cello to keep the diaper from unrolling. Trim any leftover cello, or tuck it inside the rolled diaper. Repeat this step 4 more times, making 5 rolled diapers in all.

Step 2: Making the Rose-Rolled Diapers

Cut 4 strips of cello twice the width of the diapers, plus 6 inches, and three or so inches longer the length of the fully stretched diaper. Place the diaper, inside up, against the one side of the cello strip. Fold the cello over, leaving the excess cello at the fold. Wrap and roll the diaper as described in Step 1. Pull the excess cello in a clockwise direction, creating layers of swirls in the cello folds. Fold the layers of swirled cello over and under to create a rose effect. Tie on short lengths of green ribbon and net tulle, if desired to make leaves for the diaper rose. Repeat this step 3 more times, making 4 rose diaper rolls in all.

Step 3: Making the Diaper Cake

Put a shrinkwrap bag INSIDE the white round box. The box will act as a form that will help create straight sides to the diaper cake. Place 8 of the rolled diapers in a circle following the walls of the round box. Alternate the diapers, placing one plain one, then one rose diaper to make the circle. Place the 9th diaper roll inside the center of the circle. Pull the shrink bag with the diapers about two to three inches out of the round box. Using curling ribbon, tie the shrink bag underneath the cello roses on the diaper rose rolls. Pull the remaining bag up and keep it away from the heat gun. Apply the heat gun to shrink the bag around the top two inches of the diapers. Pull the bag up another three inches and shrink this portion of the bag. Continue shrinking sections of the cake until the entire cake is shrinkwrapped. Completely remove the cake from the round box. The upper portion of the bag WILL NOT be shrinkwrapped. Fold the excess shrinkbag back down over the sides of the diaper cake. Apply heat and shrink this second layer, creating an extremely strong “container” for the diaper rolls.

Step 4: Decorating the Cake

Set the finished cake inside the round box lid (covering the lid with ribbon), or create the look of the lid by gluing ribbon to narrow strips of poster board, which can then be wrapped around the base of the cake. Tuck small tufts of cello, ribbons, and/or net tulle between the poster board base and the diaper cake. Use Super Hold Glue Dots to attach the cello, etc. to the diaper cake. Decorate the top as desired. In the design shown here, the plush baby was tied (with curling ribbon) to the cello roses. The baby socks rolled into a corsage was tied into a multi-layered bow and then taped to the top of a diaper roll.

Step 5: Decorating the Bottom “Layer” of the Cake

Wrap the white box with a narrow strip of matching polka dot cello, taping the ends of the cello together. Pack the inside of the box with your choice of baby gifts. (Gifts related to diaper changing are especially useful and thematic to the diaper cake.) Set the box inside a second lid, or wrap a strip of ribbon-covered poster board around the base, creating the effect of “icing.” Tufts of cello and ribbon may be added, although none were used in the design for this project.

Step 6: Stacking the Cake

Space four Super Hold Glue Dots at equal intervals around the top rim of the round box. Place the diaper cake (that has been set inside the lid of the box) on top of the round box.

Wrap the entire two-layer cake in clear cello, if desired to build better hold for the stacked boxes during delivery and/or shipment. Gather and tie the cellophane around the waist of the plush baby.

Product Credits:

White Round Box, Pink Polka Dot Cello - Nashville Wraps 800-547-9727

Green Ribbon – Frontier Imports, Inc. 800-522-2598

Baby Plush – GBSW Specialties 800-786-4438

Diapers and all other enhancements s purchased locally.