Blue Dinosaur
by Pam Hoffman
(Shreveport, LA)
A baby boy's diaper cake could not be cuter! And the diaper cake instructions provided with this cake could not be more helpful! Just take a look below...
Pam submitted her fabulous diaper cake and her incredibly detailed instructions for NO OTHER reason than to help the rest of us who are searching for some diaper cake inspiration. So amazing. So thoughtful. So sweet! Pam, thanks for your pictures, for your diaper cake, for your instructions and for giving of yourself to inspire others!
In Pam's Own Words:
Recipe:
~~ Jo-Ann Fabric & Crafts ~~
(1) Roll 1 1/2" Robins Egg Blue Organdy Ribbon - $1.99
(1) Roll 5/8" Emerald Green Satin Ribbon - $2.49
(1) Roll 6" Wide Green Organza spool - $2.50*
(1) Plush dinosaur toy - $5.99
(1) Pair neon green baby booties - $0.50 (clearance!)
~~ Walmart ~~
(2) Pkgs Newborn Diapers - $5.99 each
(1) Pkg of #32 rubber bands - $0.46
(1) Pkg Powdered Pedialite Mix - $8.98
(1) Pkg Boudreaux's Baby Butt Paste - $4.98
(1) Bottle Johnson&Johnsons Baby Wash - $2.98
(1) Bottle J&J Cornstarch Baby Powder - $1.96
(4) 5/16" Wood Dowel - $0.37
(1) Bottle outdoor white craft paint - $1.97
(1) multi roll of ribbon (blue & green) - $2.47
~~ Things I already had on hand (Mostly Cake deco. supplies) ~~
(1) Cardboard 12" cake circle(can be cut from regular cardboard)
(1) Cardboard 8" cake circle(can be cut from regular cardboard)
(1) roll of scotch tape
(1) pair scissors.
(1) 3oz. Cup out of a package of bathroom cups.
(1) roll of aluminum foil (only use a small piece)
(1) needle and dark green thread
(1) roll 1/4" Stitch witchery iron hemming tape*
(1) iron and ironing board*
(1) 10" Circular cake pan (wilton)**
(1) 8" Circular cake pan (wilton)**
(1) 6" Circular cake pan (wilton)**
* You can use doilies or some other decorative base for your cake.
** Ironing the ribbon is optional, i'm a perfectionist and wanted it smooth.
***note, the cake pans weren't necessary, they weren't used in the final product, but it sure helped to get everything lined up.
== STEPS ==
0) breath before reading, it's really not as much work as it looks like.
1) Paint the 4 wooden dowels with the white paint. Cover about 3/4ths of the dowel. Let this first coat dry while you're rolling diapers.
2) My diapers had a colorful strip along the top that i didn't want to show. I left them folded in half as they came out of the package but rolled them so that the blue strip didn't show. I wrapped a rubber band twice around the center of each diaper roll and put them in a clean shopping bag until I had rolled all of them.
3) I placed the bottle of baby wash in the center of the 6" cake pan and packed rolled diapers (12 total) in around it so that the seams faced the inside. I used 2 rubber bands to secure the top section together, binding the whole layer in the center.
4) I placed 28 rolled diapers in the 8" pan, seam side in, and secured the whole layer with 2 rubber bands around the center of the layer.
5) I placed all of the remaining rolled diapers in the 10" pan, seam side in, and secured the whole layer with 2 rubber bands around the center of the layer.
6) Put another coat of white paint on the 4 wooden dowels.
7) Measure lengths of the Blue ribbon to fit securely around each of the layers. This ribbon is transparent so you'll still be able to see the rubber bands on the diapers.
8) Measure lengths of the Green ribbon slightly longer (by about 1/2") than the lengths of the blue ribbon.
9) If you want to iron, this is the time to do it. I used the stitch witchery to adhere the green ribbon to the center of the blue ribbon.
10) Lift the first layer (whichever you choose) out of the pan and wrap the ribbon around the center, green side out, using the green to hide the rubber bands.
11) secure the ribbon with the needle and thread (it helps to hold it in place with two small sewing pins while you put a small stitch in.) and cut off the excess ribbon.
12) Complete steps 10 and 11 for each of the other two layers.
13) stand back and admire your handy-work.
14) Using the same needle and thread, you're going to put a simple over under stitch on one end of the 6" organza spool. You'll need a few feet. Once you're satisfied with your flower shape, tie the ends together to create a donut shaped green fan to go under your bottom later.
15) Set the 6" top layer of "cake" on the 8" cake circle and lightly trace around the outside but don't cut it out.
16) Lay out you're 12" cake circle and place you're green donut flower on top followed by your 10" layer of "cake" and then your 8" layer being sure to line up all of your seams towards the back.
17) Tape and rubber band your pedialite, baby powder, and butt paste together.
18) cut enough of the top of the 3oz cup away to create a small pedestal for the pedialite to sit on if you want to elevate it so it can be seen above the butt paste and the cornstarch.
19) Wrap your blue and green ribbon around your bundled products and secure it with tape.
20) Evenly space the 4 dowels and gently push the dowels through the second and third layers of your "cake" until you feel the bottom cake circle.
21) Set your bundled products between the dowels on the second layer to help push the dowels apart to make them even and mark where they meet the bottom side of the 8" cake circle for you to punch holes through.
22) Punch holes just big enough for the dowels to fit through in the 6" cake circle making sure that the holes fall inside the line you traced in step 15 and cut out the section so that you have a
23) wrap the new 6" circle in aluminum foil: cut a circle approximately 2" larger than your remaining 6" piece of cardboard. Lay your 6" piece down on the center of the foil. Cut slits in the aluminum from the outside edge towards the edge of the cake circle and fold each flap down and secure it with a piece of tape. Re-punch the holes through the aluminum.
24) push the foiled cake circle down on the dowels until it rests on top of your packaged products and set your top layer on top, pushing the dowels through the outer layers of ribbon and/or diapers.
25) mark the spot where the dowels show above the ribbon/diapers on the top layer, remove the top layer of "cake" and mark where the dowels should go back into the cakes.
26) remove the dowels and cut them at the point that you marked. Re-insert them in the cake at the points you marked.
27) place your bundled items on your middle layer, place your foiled cake circle on your dowels and your top layer back on the top.
28) you can stop here if you want, or Decorate!
29) I made trios of the curling ribbon and taped them to the top cake circle to make a border below the top layer.
30) My dinosaur had a finger puppet hole in his tummy which lets him perch nicely on the top of the baby-wash.