How I made a Minnie Mouse DIY Diaper Cake for under $50!

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How I made a Minnie Mouse DIY Diaper Cake for under $50!

Wanted to finish off March with some fun posts featuring recent projects and favorite products. For my niece’s one year Birthday party/present, I decided to try making a diaper cake. Since we had just arrived home from our Disney vacation, I decided on a Minnie Mouse Theme for my DIY diaper cake. Here are the steps I took to create it, and where I purchased each “ingredient.”

Where to shop:

I was able to get all my supplies from Target and Michaels. The biggest expense was the diapers, which I accidentally bought too many of! I was not using any instructions, and just going off photos I had seen of diaper cakes on Pinterest. I bought a giant box of 100 (oops!), but by the time I was done I used less than 40! The rest of the items were less than $5, except for the Minnie Tsum Tsum which I think was $6. Most of these same exact items you can purchase online. Click links to shop! Right now, you can save 50% Off Any One Regular Price Item at Michaels! At Target, you can earn free shipping on orders placed of $35 or more!

*My supplies listed are based on my 3-layer cake which measured approx. 2 feet tall x 12 inches wide.

DIY diaper cake supplies

What you need:

40 Diapers – This is a good start for the size of the 3-layer cake I made, but you could always make it bigger! I bought Target’s brand of diapers. I was looking for plain white ones, but no brands had that! Also, be sure you are buying a size that will fit the baby if buying for an older or bigger baby.

Charger or base of somesort – I loved this charger from Michaels! I have been meaning to go back and get another to keep at home as decor!

Rubber bands – I found a big pack of them at the Dollar Store.

Minnie mouse ribbon – Also from Michaels

Paper Garland or any embellishments – I used this Pink Fringe Garland from Michaels

diy diaper cake fringe garland

Pins or some way to attach embellishments and ribbon onto the diapers. – Used pins with matching pink, round ends that would blend well with my ribbon and garland. I found these cheap at the Dollar store.

Clear Shipping Tape or Stickytack – Target

Whatever you want your cake topper to be. In this case I happened to spy a super cute Birthday Minnie Tsum Tsum in the Toy section at Target. It was too perfect!


Clear gift basket bag – I thought it was pretty cool Michaels sells single gift basket bags in many different sizes. I bought the small and medium to try, and ended up using the medium.

diy diaper cake clear gift basket bag

Curling ribbon, or whatever you want to decorate the top of the clear wrapping. – I found matching pink pre-curled ribbons at the dollar store in the gift wrap section.

Instructions:

1 – Set plate down in front of you, and either use the packing tape or sticky tack so it is sticking both to the plate, and has a sticky side facing up where you will attach the first layer of diapers.

diy diaper cake charger

2 – Form the first layer of the cake by folding the diapers over each other, making a circle as shown in the photo below. Secure with rubber bands as you go. I started with a few diapers in the middle, and then attached more as could fit under the rubber band.

*Be sure to leave room for embellishments on the outside of each layer, and do not take up the whole top of the plate or layer underneath!

diy diaper cake first step

3 – Secure the first layer to the plate by the packing tape or sticky tack. Push any diapers edges down so you have a flat surface on top.

diy diaper cake first layer of diapers

4- Add embellishments. I fist pinned on the paper garland, and then the ribbon just about that around each layer.

DIY diaper cake first layer decor

*When I pushed the pins in, I tried to place them where the “top” of diapers were, so not to possibly poke holes in the bottom of the diapers and chance leakage!

pinning a diy diaper cake

5 – repeat steps 2-5 to make each layer.

diy diaper cake second layer

6 – Add packing tape or whatever you chose to use to attach each layer to the top of each layer. I placed some on top of each layer. I also stuck some on the side of the next layer to the top of the bottom layer as seen in the photos below. The tape on the sides was placed low enough I easily hid it behind the fringe ribbon.

side of diy diaper cake

*The layers will not stick super well if using the shipping tape, but I did not want to chance hot glue melting or ruining the diapers. When you wrap the cake with the clear gift basket bag at the end it will hold it together enough.

diy diaper cake with three layers

 

diy diaper cake with all 3 layers

7- Attach your cake topper if using one using pins or whatever is necessary.

*I folded over the tag that was on the Zmu Zmu and pinned it underneath so it was hidden and secured on the top layer.

diy diaper cake tsum tsum

8 – Carefully put the entire cake attached to it’s base inside of the gift basket bag. Pinch the top together to close, and secure with a rubber band.

diy diaper cake in plastic

9 – Add ribbon or decor around rubber band to hide.

Minnie Mouse DIY Diaper Cake completed

10 – Be amazed at yourself, and your awesome DIY Diaper Cake!

I hope this is a helpful how-to for those interested in creating their own DIY diaper cake. Have fun!

Thanks for reading!

-Jillian

PS – Here are some of my current Minnie favorites sure to delight the Minnie Mouse fan in your life!


Shop at Michaels

 

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