Are you planning a bear-themed baby shower party and looking for fun and practical DIY gifts and decoration ideas? Babies use more than five diapers daily, so getting mom-to-be diapers is only natural. But did you know you can use your diaper gift idea as a baby shower decoration? Yes, you can!
Check out these great diaper cake ideas with step-by-step instructions on how to make the best bear diaper cake for your baby shower!
How Do You Make a Bear Diaper Cake?
There’s no hard and fast rule on making a bear diaper cake, so feel free to get as creative as you want. Aim to make your creation look like a bear or cake.
The essential items needed are diapers and rubber bands. Any other materials will depend on the specific bear diaper cake design.
Some adorable baby shower diaper cake ideas include:
- Standing or ‘sleeping’ bear-shaped cakes
- Tiered diaper cakes with bear-themed cake topper
- Bear-themed tractor or motorcycle diaper cake
- Hidden teddy bear diaper cake
- Pooh bear diaper cake
Standing Bear-Shaped Diaper Cake
The standing bear-shaped diaper cake is one of my favorite baby shower gift and decoration ideas. I love it because you can accessorize your cake with other baby gifts like a pacifier, socks, mittens, a baby cap, a bib, etc. It’s simple to make and works well for a baby boy, baby girl, and neutral-gender baby shower.
This diaper cake features both rolled and unrolled diapers.
Materials Needed
- 36 Size 4 diapers
- Two flannel receiving blankets
- Two pairs of bright-colored fluffy socks
- One pair of baby mittens
- One roll of ¾ inch ribbon
- One pair of scissors
- One empty large circular tin
- White, brown, and black cardstock paper
- Double-sided tape
- Medium or large paper pins
- Rubber bands
Method
Step 1: Make the Bear’s Belly and Head
The steps for making the head and the torso are the same. However, you will need the following:
- Belly: 16 diapers to make the body- 12 unrolled and four rolled.
- Head: 12 diapers – 10 unrolled and two rolled.
Use the following six steps to make the torso and repeat for the bear’s head:
- Place the circular tin on a table and layer the unrolled diapers inside the container to form a circle. Make sure you overlap the diapers and leave a hole in the center.
- Tie one rubber band around the layered diapers.
- Remove the diaper wheel from the tin.
- Roll the remaining diapers into one big cylindrical shape. Tie a rubber band around the rolled diapers to keep them from unwrapping.
- Put the rolled diapers in the center of the diaper wheel.
- Fold one receiving blanket to the width of the diaper wheel.
- Wrap the folded receiving blanket around the diaper wheel and fasten both of the blanket ends to the diapers using the large paper pins.
- Set aside both the belly and head.
Step 2: Make the Legs, Hands, and Ears.
You will need eight diapers:
- Two nappies for each leg
- One diaper for each hand and ear
Use the following steps to make the limbs and ears.
- Overlap two nappies and roll them into one cylinder to form one leg.
- Tie with a rubber band.
- Repeat for the other leg.
- Roll the four remaining diapers individually to make the hands and ears. Secure each roll with a rubber band.
- Dress each leg and hand in a fluffy sock and place the mittens on each ear.
- Set aside.
Step 3: Make the Face
Use cardstock paper and scissors to make the bear’s eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Draw and cut out oval shapes on white paper. Add black spots for eyes with a black felt-tip pen. You may also draw on eyebrows and eyelashes to make the bear’s face more adorable.
- Cut out a large oval shape on the beige paper for the mouth.
- Draw and color a small, black oval on the mouth for a nose.
You can also use googly eyes and a pacifier for the eyes and mouth instead.
Step 4: Assemble the Bear Diaper Cake
- Lay all the pieces of the bear diaper cake on the table to put them together. Place them as they would appear upright.
- Attach each piece to the other discreetly using the paper clips. You may need to clip the baby’s clothing and the diapers to the belly for more stability.
- Use double-sided tape to stick the eye and mouth cutouts on the bear’s face.
- Wrap the colored ribbon around the bear diaper cake centerpiece from the bottom to the head, including the legs, hands, and ears.
- Tie a cute bow at the top of the head.
- Lift the bear nappy cake, making adjustments where needed.
How Do You Put a Teddy Bear in a Diaper Cake?
Surprise mom-to-be by hiding teddy bears toys in the diaper cake. This would work best for a tiered baby shower centerpiece because you can stuff miniature bear toys between layers or at the cake center.
Alternatively, you can place a small or medium-sized fluffy teddy bear at the top of the cake.
How Do You Make a Diaper Cake With a Bear on Top?
The best way to make a diaper cake with a bear on top is to use a single or multi-tiered cake. The flat surface at the top gives excellent stability for the stuffed bear to sit well without falling over. Below are steps to make a three-tiered diaper cake with a bear on top.
Materials Needed
- 60 size one diapers
- One 14-inch cardboard cake plate
- One paper towel roll
- Glue stick and a glue gun
- 60 Rubber bands
- One roll ¼-inch wide ribbon
- One roll of 2-inch curly ribbon/lace/burlap
- One stuffed teddy bear cake topper
The cake base will have 36 diapers, the middle tier 18 diapers, and the top level 6 diapers.
Method
- Roll each diaper individually and hold it in place with a rubber band.
- Apply hot glue to one end of the paper towel roll and stick it on the center of the cardboard cake plate. Hold for a few minutes for it to stick well.
- Arrange the rolled nappies around the paper roll, working from the center to the edge of the cardboard cake plate.
- Tie the ¼-inch ribbon around the sides of each row ( 3 rows) of rolled diapers to keep them in place.
- Remove the rubber bands as you finish the rows.
- Repeat steps 3 to 6 for the middle tier, ensuring you use 18 diapers. You will form 2 rows.
- Repeat steps 3 to 6 for the top tier using the six remaining diapers. You will create only one row around the paper towel roll.
- Wrap the colorful 2-inch ribbon around each tier, ensuring you cover the ¼-inch ribbon in step 4. Use the hot glue gun to attach the ribbon ends.
- Tuck in one or two baby washcloths on the top tier and place the stuffed bear cake topper on top.
- Add teddy bear-themed sticker decorations or mini stuffed teddy bears on the middle tier or around the base of the cake to tie in with the teddy bear theme.
How Do You Make a Pooh Bear Diaper Cake?
You can make a Winnie the Pooh-themed diaper cake by making a simple tiered cake using Huggies Pooh-themed diapers.
Add mini Pooh and friends cardboard toppers, flannel blankets, and a mini Pooh bear topper to the nappy cake to make it more exciting.
What Is the Best Size of Teddy Bear for a Diaper Cake?
The best size of a teddy bear for a diaper cake depends on the size of the diaper cake.
A big teddy bear topper on a small diaper cake will look disproportional. So the best size of the bear is the one that makes the cake display look proportional.
How Many Diapers Are Needed for a Bear Diaper Cake?
The number of diapers needed for a bear diaper cake varies with the diaper size used and the design of the cake you want to make. On average, you would use between 36 and 75 diapers for a small to medium-sized bear-shaped or three-tiered diaper cake. Larger cakes may need over 100 pieces of diapers.
Note: If a diaper cake recipe shows a larger nappy size, say Size 4, and you only have Size 1, you will need almost twice as many diapers to create the exact size of a diaper cake.
How Do You Roll Diapers for Diaper Cakes?
If your diaper cake calls for rolling, ensure both open ends of the diaper touch each other. Start rolling inward from the open ends of the diaper. Fasten the diapers with a rubber band or a ribbon so that the rolled diaper does not unravel. If using a rubber band, place it closer to one end of the rolled nappy to make it easier to remove as you handmake the diaper cake centerpiece.