How to Make a Diaper Cake for Triplets

Diaper cakes are adorable and practical centerpieces that every expecting mother loves to receive! Plus, a diaper cake is an easy and simple gift to make and give. Even someone who isn't very arts-and-craftsy won't feel overwhelmed when making a diaper cake, even if the cake is for triplets!

Here are some easy suggestions and instructions on how to make a diaper cake especially for triplets! Several diaper cake theme ideas, particularly with triplets in mind follow the instructions.

Supplies Needed:

Approximately 70 - 75 diapers
100 assorted rubber bands (75 small and about a dozen in larger sizes)
3 yards of 1-1/2 inch or 2 inch wide decorative ribbon (avoid sheer - rubber bands show)
Thin dowel rod
Assorted Baby Items if desired (For Triplets, be sure to select things in trios or threes)

How to select diapers:

It's a good idea to use Size 2 or Size 3 diapers. This way, the new mom can enjoy the diaper cake longer and keep it out on display a while after the baby arrives. Visitors who come to see the new baby also enjoy seeing the cake out too! Practically speaking, unless the baby is a Preemie a new mother is likely to use the Newborn size diapers for maybe a week or two, and the Size 1 for just a few quick weeks also. In other words, around the time when a new mom is running out of the diapers that she received for shower gifts, she'll really appreciate the diaper cake!

When selecting diapers also consider what colors or characters the new mom may be decorating the baby's room in. For example, if the cake is for girls and the color theme for the baby shower is pink, then you probably wouldn't want to use diapers that are Big Bird yellow and Elmo red. Disney Princesses might be a bit more appropriate.

How to Make the Cake:

STEP 1:

Lay the diaper flat in front of you, vertically, with the folded edge facing closest to you. Roll up each diaper snugly, jelly roll style, and then place a rubber band around it. Do this first for all the diapers.

(Some people claim that it looks "neater" to roll the diaper up toward the fold. Go with your preference. It won't make a difference in putting together your cake.)

STEP 2:

Make three diaper cake layers.

A 6" top layer needs 6-8 diapers.
An 8" middle layer needs 18-20 diapers.
About a 12" bottom layer needs 38-42 diapers.

To make a layer, stand a diaper up straight (vertically). Add another layer of diapers around this core diaper, then rubber band the layer.

STEP 3:

Add a ribbon around the middle of each layer by tying it in a bow or by cutting the ribbon and putting a dab of hot glue on the overlapped ends.

STEP 4:

Assemble the layers like a cake. The littlest layer is on the top and the largest layer is on the bottom.

Then, carefully slide a dowel rod through the center of the cake, being careful not to tear any of the diapers. If desired you can "serve" the diaper cake on either cut-out cardboard or a foil covered cake plate (different colors may be available at a craft or cake decorating supply store).

Specific Diaper Cake Themes for Triplets:

Three Men in a Tub (Or Three Babies in a Tub)

Find a small metal craft tub with handles that will fit on the top layer, and three little baby dolls that will fit snugly inside of it. (Craft supply stores or Dollar trees are great places to find these items inexpensively.)
Surround the babies in the tub with cotton balls for bubbles.
Run ribbon through the handles so you can attach the tub to either the core diaper or tie it under the large rubber band that is holding the top layer together.

All Your Ducks in a Row

Same idea as the Three Men in a Tub, yet use yellow rubber ducks.
If you'd prefer not to use the tub on the top layer, arrange the three little ducks in a row around the middle layer.
Also, look for bright orange or yellow white polka dot ribbon, or ribbon with yellow ducks on it.

Three's Company

Look for a diaper with an animal theme pattern around it.
Find three different animal stuffed animals (think giraffe, elephants, or tigers).
Use ribbon to tie these around the layer of your choice or "squeeze" them all tightly together so they can keep one another company!

Three Little Monkeys

Find three little monkey stuffed animals for decorations.
The idea behind this diaper cake is that "little monkeys" will get into everything.
So, the decorations on this cake are all safety items that mom can use like outlet covers, doorknob covers, and "safety" items.
Use banana yellow ribbon around the layers.

The Ants Go Marching

For this idea, you'll need 5-8 pairs of black socks, thin black ribbon and checkered color ribbon (that looks like a picnic tablecloth). Roll the socks into little balls. Each ant body can be two or three socks.

Roll the socks into little balls. With straight pins, being careful not to pull the sock threads, attach thin ribbons underneath each little ball. One ribbon should be attached to eat ball, so these are the ant's feet. You can safety pin or straight pin the ant bodies together so the three segments stay attached. Position the ants around the layers of the diaper cake so the ants look like they're marching "one by one," hurrah!

To adapt this idea for girls, use pink socks and pink and white checkered ribbon.
If you prefer, you can use red colored socks and coordinating ribbon too.
Feel free to mix-and-match socks too!

Or, if you want to make it really easy, buy some big plastic ants!

Three Peas in a Pod

Look for a more neutral or pale colored style diaper
Select green with white polka dot ribbon
Find three small baby dolls or stuffed animal baby dolls.
With green fabric or felt, make a pea pod hat and diaper for each baby.
Decorate the cake with little "pea pods." Individual baby socks rolled into little balls are a perfect size. Make a "pod" out of green tissue paper and place three sock balls inside.
Tie the pod at either end with green ribbon. Cover the entire pod in clear cellophane or plastic wrap.
Consider putting other small items inside the pods too, like three green pacifiers.

*For other Peas in a Pod decoration ideas, check out my article on Diaper Cakes for Twins.

Neapolitan

Each layer is a different color. Select three different ribbon colors, one each in Chocolate, Strawberry, and Vanilla.
This is really cute especially for girls as brown and pink is a popular color choice for moms to decorate in right now.
Look for "Dipping Dots" style ribbons too or polka dot ribbon in the same flavor choices.
Add little baby spoons to this style diaper cake as it's so cute that everyone will want to eat it up!
Consider placing the cake on a clear glass cake pedestal too and it'll look like you're serving it in a really nifty ice cream dish.

Triple Scoops of Fun

The Ice Cream idea is just so cute that it really can't be confined to a single cake of Chocolate, Strawberry, and Vanilla!
Recruit a couple girlfriends to help and make three different Ice Cream flavored diaper cakes - a unique cake of different flavors for each triplet!
Consider flavors like: Orange, Lime, and Pineapple Sherbet or Green Mint Chocolate Chip, or (my favorite for a new mom) Rocky Road!

Instead of serving cake at the baby shower, let mom and all the guests make their own ice cream sundaes! Looking at these baby diaper cakes is definitely going to make people think sweet! Your guests will remember Ice Cream, You Scream, and eventually three triplets will be screaming too!

Additional Resources:

Here the link to an easy Step-by-step guide on how to make a diaper cake.
Watch as Carolyn demonstrates in this 10 minute video on YouTube how to make a Baby Diaper Cake with complete and easy to follow instructions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bKwE9POjnE