Friday, September 14, 2012

It’s Just a Stinky Old Diaper...



Figure 18
Or is it? *grins* Today in the interest of something completely different I bring you step by step instructions for creating your very own Frosted Diaper Cake. And no we’re not making it out of stinky used diapers, or baking something. And really all you have to do is look at all the pretty picture to the right to see what I mean. So without further ado let’s get to making!

Materials Required
  • Cardboard base, 1 each (the cardboard form frozen pizza is what I used)
  • Wrapping Paper, enough to cover the cardboard
  • Diapers, ~ 1 jumbo pack (30+) per layer
  • Small Hair Elastics, no. = total no. of diapers (I like the invisible ones)
  • Sticks, 2 each, (I used wooden shish-k-bob skewers)
  • Ribbon, ~2 yd per layer, 1/4 inch to 3/4 inch wide
  • Receiving blankets, 1 per layer, plus one extra
  • Baby toy, one for a topper

Instructions (majority of the figures are at the bottom of the post - sorry for the amount of scrolling you'll have to do, but I just can't get them to work with the text! *grrrr*) 
  1. Cut the wrapping paper to extend about 2 to 3 inches beyond the cardboard base. Since I was using a circle I turned my wrapping paper into an octagon (Figure 1)
  2. Fold over the side and glue or tape them to the back of your base. For the circle I folded four sides (Figure 2), and then the other four sides (figure 3)
  3. Now the fun part – diaper rolling. Open up the box of elastics and a pack of diapers now, start rolling, making sure the pretty top is on the outside (Figure 4 and 5)
  4. Create the first layer by placing one rolled diaper in the middle, then make about three circles of diapers around it. Carefully stick a skewer through the center diaper, poking it into the base if you can for additional stability. The skewers I have will go through 3 layers of newborn size diapers. (Figure 6)
  5. Now cut a lengths of ribbon that will go all the way around twice, plus enough extra to make a bow. Only go around once this time though. Pull it as tight around those diapers as you can and knot it to hold in place. (Figure 7)
  6. Next we fold our first layer of ‘frosting’. Pick a Receiving Blanket, and fold it into a triangle, then fold the point up to meet the top (Figure 8), then, point on the inside, lay it down across the first layer so it touches the skewer and drapes over the side (Figure 9)
  7. Using any origami skills you might have, carefully fold each side around that skewer (Figure 10) and then tuck those stray ends around the base before tying the extra Ribbon around the blanket with a bow (Figure 11 and Figure 12). (Yes, the diapers showing, is a feature – otherwise who’d know what was under there!) *grin*
  8. Make the next layer the same as the first. Since the base of Layer two isn’t as flat as layer one, I used my ribbon to help hold the diapers in place as I worked (Figure 13)
  9. Since my skewer sticks up just enough beyond layer two (Figure 14) that I made one more layer, but since it’s the top layer I covered it in a different manner.
  10. Take another Receiving and fold all the corners into the center and then fold the corners in to the center one more time, almost as if you were making one of those paper fortune cookies (Figure 15 and Figure 16).
  11. Lay that on top of the final layer (the folded parts on the inside) and then tie ribbon around it to hold it steady (Figure 17).   Note: My top layer is smaller than the rest because it was made with Preemie size diapers rather than the Newborn size I used on the bottom one.  If you wanted a decreasing tier cake, you could use three sizes of diapers, or just make one less ring for each layer.
  12. Top the cake (I used tape to keep him on) with the toy and feel free to tuck any other useful item (like a gift card) under the ribbon (guess where I bought my supplies) *grin* (Figure 18)
  13. But I had diapers leftover after this, and as no diaper should go to waste (until filled with waste, ha ha) I rolled those up as well; and made two ‘mini cakes’.
  14. I only had one Receiving Blanket left and after much fussing I decided to fold it in thirds and wrap my little two layer cake. Notice I folded in the end that would be on the outside, to make it look smoother. (Figure 19)
  15. Then I tied it up, one ribbon per layer, and it made a nice little side dish for the main cake (Figure 20)
Figure 20
I’m afraid I forgot to get picture from the baby Shower itself where the cake was presented. But there you have it, and easy, though not necessarily quick, way to create a pretty (comma optional) useful centerpiece for any Baby shower. (Cause I know all my readers are attending lots... *laugh*)

This is just one of the ways I spend my creative energies when I’m not writing.

Next up I might be documenting my Halloween Costume creation process.

I might as well, seeing as this is my Diary, why fill you in on all my creative endeavors. I might even put in some useful information, like how to format a document for Create Space using Word. Cause I can do that. *grins*
 

:} Cathryn

P.S. Appologies for being inconsistant with posting lately. A Family Crisis and adding some new things to my responsibilities list has taken some adjusting to. I hope to return to my more regularly scheduled posting soon. Though if it doesn’t happen until next year (January 2013) you have been warned! *grins*
 
The Figures for your creating reference!
 
Figure 1



Figure 2


Figure 3


Figure 4


Figure 5


Figure 6


Figure 7


Figure  8


Figure 9


Figure 10


Figure 11

Figure 12


Figure 13


Figure 14


Figure 15


Figure 16


Figure 17


Figure 19
 

6 comments:

  1. I am so confused . . . what is this cake for? We don't use anything like this in the UK (then again, I don't think we're huge on baby showers).

    I am both fascinated and mystified as to the practice of making a cake out of nappies.

    That sentence sounds so weird, even in context xD

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    Replies
    1. I'd never heard of one until about 5 years ago when the Company I'm still working for, gave me one. The Diapers were taped closed and taped onto the board, making them very hard to take apart and use. I go for an easier method.

      A baby shower is another excuse for a party, eating cake and playing silly games (of which there were none this time).

      I guess making a cake of nappies, makes them look better than wrapping them up still in the packaging? *shrug*

      I like it because it's crafty, takes a slight artistic touch, but at the same time it's completely useful. In fact only the base really needs to be tossed and that's recyclable - see very Green *giggles*

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  2. Yeah, agreed with Spook - we don't have baby showers in the UK. At least, I'd never heard of them before some of the US blogs I read mentioned them. I'm still not quite sure what they are.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Do you have Bridal Showers?

      Both Baby and Bridal showers are about celebrating a woman's entrance into a new stage of her life, often occpmanied by gift of things she'll need for it.

      It's also just another chance to celebrate and eat and drink (though a lot less alcohol tends to be involved in a Baby Shower, since the woman's pregnant).

      Personally I just hink we American's might like to party too much... Or maybe it's that we don't relax enough on a regular routine so we have to squeeze it in by making an excuse to let loose. :}

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  3. I feel so...excluded, Cathryn Leigh.
    So I'm a guy, so what?
    I like women.
    The occasional baby, too.
    But have I EVER been invited to a bridal OR baby shower?
    ...no [:(

    I like your diaper cake.
    In Figs.5, 6, 7, they look like strudels [:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heh... I know, they are such sexist events. We ended up with a Jack and Jill Patry (aka a bridal shower for the guy and girl) at my mom's. Our Baby shower was co-ed too. Guess you need to hang out with less sexist friends *grins*

      *giggles8 I don't think baby diaper strudles would be all that much yummy to eat though. :}

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