Dazzling DIY diaper cakes

Probably invented around the time American moms started using disposable diapers exclusively (those things are expensive!) the diaper cake has long been a staple of any modern baby shower. Luckily, making a DIY cake is an easy and fun way to get a little creative with your baby shower gift. Follow this recipe to cook up a darling one for the mom-to-be in your life.

Ingredients List: To make the cake, you will need to buy several baby-related items and accessories. This is for a two-layer cake, but feel free to adjust the number of items purchased to make a bigger or smaller presentation.

• One large serving platter. The platter should be the same size as you'd like the bottom layer of the cake to be.
• Fifty-five diapers. This is the meat and potatoes of the whole project and gift givers should take special note to buy diapers that moms will actually be able to use. Since newborn babies tend to breeze through the smallest-sized diapers, it's best to include 40 stage-one diapers and about 15 infant ones.
• Ribbon and Rubber bands. You'll quickly find it's really handy to have these items lying around, so several types should be purchased in advance of beginning the project.
• One large bottle 8oz bottle. This will serve as the center of the cake and can be any color or variety.
• Baby items. These will be used to decorate the cake and are a part of the actual gift: think pacifiers, bottles, lotions, bibs, wash clothes, baby blankets ect.
• Unique Items. You'll be able to give the cake personality using these items which should be fun and decorative. Baby pacifier necklaces or photo frames for baby's first picture are both great options.

Once you've gathered your supplies you're ready to begin.

Just like when baking a real sweet treat, the first part of creating a diaper-cake making might not seem very fun. Still, putting in a little bit of work at the beginning will leave you with a sturdy base to decorate later on.

To get started, you'll need to individually roll each of the 75 diapers. Make sure to roll the newborn diapers tightly so you'll be able to recognize them when you begin the layering process.

Next, place the large 8oz bottle in the center of the serving tray and surround it with one layer of diapers, using a large rubber band to secure insulation. Continue placing diapers around the bottle until the entire tray is filled with a bottom layer, which should be held together by wrapping a piece of ribbon all the way around.

The top part of the bottle should still be visible, so you'll need to follow the same instructions for the second layer, placing the smaller newborn diapers on top of the larger ones. Secure this layer with a large piece of ribbon and you're ready to decorate.

Using ribbon, rubber bands and small bags (to hold smaller items), secure all of the baby and unique items to different diapers in the cake - play around with the placement of objects to create a fun and funky style.