Well, that’s a silly title, isn’t it? But it’s a question I had to ask…to get your attention, of course. I hope you’re having a wonderful Saturday, because I plan to! My sister, Deb, is here visiting and we worked on a project… a centerpiece for her daughter, Molly’s, upcoming baby shower. It’s actually called a diaper cake, but I had to call it a burlap cake so I didn’t give it away…and you’d be slightly surprised in my post.
The cake turned out SO adorable and I decided to share it with you. Deb wanted something simple so that’s what we made… It only involves a few items… diapers, (we used newborn size), small size rubber bands, a cake pan if you have one…about a 12″ one works great, the inside cardboard tube from a roll of paper towels, some ribbon, (we used 2 different burlap ribbons), some kind of stuffed animal, a needle and thread and a round piece of cardboard or a flat cake plate a little bigger than your diaper cake.
One of the hardest things we ran into was finding plain white diapers…without astronauts or zebras or robots on them… We finally found some newborn sized ones that had a very faint pattern on them.
We first took the diapers and rolled them all up, from the waist edge to the crotch area, like this…and used the rubber bands to hold them in place.
Then we took my 12″ cake pan and stood them in it, all along the outside edge, working our way to the middle…Try to keep the fattest edge to the outside in the pan. They will sort of fall over if you do it by yourself…that’s what’s nice about having a “sister!” :o)
When you get to the middle, with your pan all filled with standing up diapers, take your paper towel cardboard tube and wiggle it into the middle of the diapers. This is going to allow you to add a second layer… When you get the tube in the center, stuff one of your diapers down in it, for extra stability.
Then tie a piece of string or jute (it’s what we used), around the bottom diapers… and pull it tight enough to hold them. It will be just above the rim of the cake pan… Once you get it tied, you can tilt the cake pan its side and the diapers will easily come out in a big clump and you can set it all on a piece of cardboard, or a platter if you have one. (I’m sorry, but we were having so much fun, I forgot to take pictures in the “early stages.”)
So now you have the diapers all tied to a cardboard tube sticking up in the middle. Now you’ll want to take a diaper and hold it up to your cardboard tube and cut the tube off below where the diaper comes to. The tube is just for support…Stuff another diaper down in this upper section. Now take your other diapers and place them around the tube on the second row… it helps to have a person helping you on this part… (gotta love my sister again!) Then when you get it a few layers thick, take another piece of string or jute and tie these diapers in place… So now it should look something like this…
Isn’t it looking cute already?
Deb bought 2 different kinds of burlap…one with polka dots and one with lace. We put the wider polka dotted lace on the bottom and I used a needle and thread to stitch the ends together in the back…
I did the same with the narrower piece of burlap with the lace on it; stitched it in place.
So now it was really looking cute… we knew we had picked the right patterns on the burlap.
Originally, Deb was wanting to set a lamb on the top of the cake, for “decoration” but the one she bought was too big. So we took him back and got a bear..but when we brought him home, HE was too big… Fortunately my mom had bought a sweet little bear to send back for Molly, and we ended up using him. He had a “substantial” behind, and we had a dickens of a time trying to get him to sit on the top of the cake, so in the end, Deb finally found a cute way to place him on the cake… I tied him on with a piece of clear thread around his neck…
We tied a bow out of the polka dotted burlap and I stitched it to the top piece of burlap.
We were looking at Hobby Lobby for some kind of little burlap flowers to sprinkle around the bottom edge of the cake, and we happened upon these sweet flowers; some with musical notes on them… They were PERFECT and we decided they looked cutest sprinkled on the top of the cake…as little mister bear looks on curiously…
So this was our finished cake… We thought it was adorable, and hope you do too!
Deb is going to transport the cake home in a box…it’s actually pretty sturdy. Then she’ll find a doily or something pretty to cover the cardboard base it’s sitting on.
SO… HOW DO YOU EAT A BURLAP CAKE? You don’t, you just smile at it…and say “Awwww…”
Thanks everyone… Have a great weekend!
I’ll see you on Monday,
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh my goodness,—darling, Jeanne! I take it that Molly doesn’t want to know if she is having a boy or girl, or doesn’t know, hence no blue or pink. It is such a cute idea and if memory serves me right, didn’t Rebecca make a similar cake to this for a shower?
So glad that great grandma had that little bear, it makes the cake much more special! So that was just one box if diapers? It certainly will make a cute centerpiece for the shower and I love the burlap flowers and ribbon, such a sweet touch!
That’s one good looking cake that won’t add a pound to anyone, what more can I say?
Hi Linda,
Molly is having a little boy, but she’s not your typical pink or blue kind of girl….
Rebecca made a diaper “wreath” for her friend…it was an all day project…this one was pretty quick…
We went to Cool Spoons and had my “birthday cake” in the form of a sundae…it was worth the 334 calories! (I think!)
Thanks Linda,
Blessings, Jeanne
That is so adorable! 😀 Glad to hear that you and your sister had so much fun making it together!
Thank you Christine,
We had SO much fun making that diaper cake…and visited the whole time we did it…
I’m glad you liked it!
Blessings, Jeanne
Burlap for breakfast! Yum! Adorable cake. Should be very festive for the shower.
Other person and I ended up moving some furniture yesterday. I think the hardest piece was the corner cabinet. Odd size. Could only go through doorways sideways. Then there were the steps and narrow gate. Sideways again. Didn’t want to break the curved glass. Still have tons of windows left to clean/wash too. 🙁 But, I was able to pull off the old contact paper on the kitchen shelves. That stuff really sticks! So, now the cabinet interiors look like new. A good thing. Lots more to do. I think I need a Joann’s or a thrift store break. Maybe next week.
Have a nice rest of the weekend visit.
Hi Joy,
Thanks for the compliments on the cake. We really enjoyed our time making it.
I think a Joann’s break is DEFINITELY in order for you. I bet you guys were pooped after all that!
Thanks Joy,
Blessings, Jeanne
How cute and creative. Glad you could do it together with Mom’s help, too. Have more fun this weekend. Ten Ping looks darling!
Hi Susette,
We crammed about as much fun as we could in this visit!
Thanks so much!
Blessings, Jeanne
It’s ALWAYS great to see such creativity come from your fingers, Jeanne and this time from your sister’s too who could join you these last days. Special memories are always being found in your midst.
Blessings.
Hi Becky,
Special memories were made this weekend…
Just like always!
Thanks for your sweet thoughts.
Blessings, Jeanne
I’m so glad you had some time with Deb. I sent the cake pictures on to my craftiest sister — you never know when you’ll need a really good shower present that no one will ever forget. It’s great to see a project come together and be entirely successful.
I went to the Farmers’ Market yesterday and got the ingredients for Linda’s Amish pickles. I wondered if the vinegar was cider vinegar or white, since the pictures looked as if it might be white vinegar, but I checked with Linda, who said cider. I had bought both and will use the white for washing my picture window, which didn’t come nearly clean enough with repeated washings with windex. Now to find an empty spray bottle.
Have a lovely Sunday. I thought your birthday was the 29th, which was my father’s birthday. He’d say you’d chosen a good day to be born.
Hi Marilyn,
I’m glad you enjoyed the cake pictures enough to send them to your sister. I’ll tell Deb and that will make her smile.
Good for you on going to make Linda’s pickles they really are delicious and very easy to make.
My birthday is the 29th…but a few people this week have thought it was the 25th or the 26th. My sister in law even wished me an early happy birthday…I’m gonna hold off on it until I absolutely have to… :o)
Thanks Marilyn,
Have a great Sunday,
Blessings, Jeanne
That is so-o-o-o cute! That Momie will love it. Thanks for the lesson on how to do it too.
Have a great week!
Thanks Kathie,
I think anyone should be able to make one of these. I’m glad you liked it, Kathie,
Blessings, Jeanne