The Icing on the Diaper Cake

Over the last several years, I've enjoyed making diaper cakes for a handful of friends.  I keep my diaper cakes relatively simple...just a little ribbon and a cute detail or two.  I think the first one I made was for my best friend's baby shower.  After having two rambunctious boys, she was overjoyed to find out she was having a girl, so her shower was pink, pink, pink!  I didn't have the luxury of a digital camera back then, but you get the idea:

A year later, I was pregnant with my own little bundle of joy and helped my Mom construct the diaper cake for my own baby shower.  She gets credit for the duck and the adorable details!

Recently, I've had the opportunity to make some diaper cakes to celebrate the baby boom at the church I attend.  I made several "little lamb" cakes for a baby "sprinkle" that we had for several expectant moms, as well as elegant mini-cakes used for centerpieces at a baby shower.

Last weekend, I made a diaper cake to celebrate the first birthday of a cute little guy who shares the same name as my son.  I hadn't thought to make diaper cakes for anything other than baby showers but, once I gave it some thought, the idea made perfect sense!  After all, aren't most kids in diapers until they're at least 2 or (like my own potty-training resistant son) 3?  And don't most 1st birthday parties result in an overabundance of toys that baby won't be playing with for a few months anyway?  Suddenly, a diaper cake seemed like the perfect gift solution for a 1 year-old!

Well, as this cake was also being used as decoration at the party, I wanted to give it a little extra pop, so I wrapped a round cake board in some self-adhesive (yes, self-adhesive, the whole thing is like one giant post-it note) wrapping paper that I bought on clearance at Hallmark a few years back.  My own little Aiden wandered in while I was in the process, inquired what I was doing, and bluntly asked if he could have it...the cake board, that is; he had no interest in the diapers apparently.  As luck would have it, I happened to have one more remnant of wrapping paper just big enough to fit around a scrap of cardboard I hadn't had the willpower to throw away.  A few more shiny chipboard letters, a scrap of ribbon, and voila!...Baby Aiden gets a well-appointed stash of diapers and Big Boy Aiden gets a fun sign to hang on the bare wall in his bedroom (which happens to be the wall above his changing table, a location I believe we visit too frequently but he doesn't seem to mind):

And that, my friends, is the icing on the diaper cake!  Well, that, and the fact that my kids got to eat cupcakes, run around like fools, and bring balloons home from the party.  :)