If you've ever known any parents of tiny babies, or have had any tiny babies of your own, you know that there's nothing a parent needs more of than diapers. Seriously, you can never have enough. Ever.
That's why diapers are a perfect gift for any baby shower. But if you're giving them as a gift, you might as well make them look good, right?
That was the idea behind Instructables user DeAndra of DeAndrasCrafts.
She managed to create an adorable motorcylce-shaped centerpiece for a baby shower, completely made from diapers and other new baby essentials. So, it's a great centerpiece but also a very practical gift that parents will appreciate.
Although it looks complicated, making it is actually easier than you might think. Diaper "cakes" are a popular trend, where diapers, as well as bibs, blankets, and soft toys are arranged into a cake shape, but this one takes things a step further.
DeAndra used diapers, blankets, bibs, booties, and a bottle to create her motorcycle, along with some cardboard, ribbon, and rubber bands to hold everything together securely. She also topped the whole thing with a cute monkey stuffed animal as the motorcycle's rider.
If you really want to wow at a baby shower, check out DeAndra's craft below. You can try to replicate it, or you can try a new design of your own making! Either way, the expectant parents will appreciate your efforts — and all those diapers!
[H/T: Instructables]
DeAndra started out with a big collection of baby necessities, as well as a few things to hold everything together.
She used a package of Pampers diapers (this craft requires at least 34), as well as an eight-inch cake pan, some rubber bands, and some ribbon.
Other materials included two bibs, a set of booties, a stuffed animal, and some blankets.
First she created the wheels. Using the cake pan as a mold of sorts, she arranged the diapers into a circle.
She used an eight-inch pan, which ended up requiring 17 diapers to make the circles snug. A larger pan would require more.
She did this twice to create both wheels of the motorcycle.
The diapers were all bound up with rubber bands to keep them in this round shape. Then the cake pan went back into the kitchen.
To make things prettier, DeAndra wrapped the "wheels" with some decorative ribbon, which hid the rubber bands.
And then the wheels were done.
She was careful to leave a slight opening in the center. This would allow the wheels to be connected to the rest of the motorcycle.
DeAndra then rolled up a baby blanket and threaded it through both wheels, creating a snug holder for both wheels.
By making everything snug, the structure would be more sturdy and stay together, even in transit. She also used a pin to secure the ends.
If you're going to pin things, tell your recipient! No one likes to be poked.
The handlebars were done in basically the same way, with a blanket threaded through the front wheel.
She then placed one of the bibs over the top of the front wheel for the front fender.
The handlebar blanket was then bound together on top. DeAndra used a pretty ponytail holder to make it look nice.
To make a headlight, she wrapped a bottle in a burp cloth and wedged it into the triangular area created by the handlebars.
To help the handlebars keep their shape, she snipped a toilet paper tube in half lengthwise and inserted it into the folds of the fabric.
And then, the handlebars were capped with booties.
The seat was created using a second bib laid over the rear wheel and another blanket folded up and placed on top.
And then it was time for the rider!
In this case, it was a plush monkey whose long arms and legs came in handy when positioning him on the motorcycle.
His hands were held in place with some double-sided tape.
Since DeAndra bought a package of 108 diapers but only used 34 for the wheels, she wrapped up the remainder of the diapers in a handmade crocheted blanket and placed the motorcycle on top.
After all, you can never have too many diapers when you have a new baby!
DeAndra drew her design for this craft from another blog, and she's grateful to the author for helping her develop her own version.
Thanks to that blog, she says, "I was able to create the easier, sweeter, cooler diaper motorcycle that had a bigger WOW factor than a regular diaper cake, in my opinion, of course."
In all, DeAndra said this craft took about an hour to complete, and makes a great gift for a new mom, and of course it can be personalized for any family.
If you know anyone who's looking for that perfect baby shower gift, SHARE this great idea!
