When it comes to throwing a baby shower it’s a lot of fun to make many of the things featured at the shower, like the cake, the snacks and the decorations. It not only saves money to make things yourself but there are other benefits as well. You can make things in styles and colors that aren’t offered at your local stores. Instead of having the same things as everyone else you can choose every aspect of the decorations and other items yourself.
One of the cutest things you can make for a baby shower is a little diaper-shaped cup that can hold nuts, mints or other treats. They look great on the table and aren’t really hard to make. Although it can be a little time-consuming to make many of the cups they’re easy enough to create. Use your choice of many different fabrics to make the diaper cups. Purchase baby-theme cloth, use white linen, or even use pink or blue felt. The fabric you should be lightweight, though, no matter what you choose.
Use pinking shears to cut squares which are 8″x8″. Although you can use regular scissors to cut the squares the pinking shears gives the finished diapers a totally different look. Cut one square for each person who will be attending the baby shower. Now lay the fabric pieces out and begin folding them into the diaper shape. To do so, fold two corners of the square together to make a triangle. Now fold the bottom tip of the triangle upwards. Hold it in place as you fold the two side points of the triangle over to the one you’re holding. After you have all three of the corners held together, in front of the diaper shape, you can then secure them with a safety pin. As you’re folding the diaper shape make sure that you do not leave very large openings at the leg areas. The opening must be smaller than the nuts or mints you are serving in the finished cups.
At this point you can use one particular method to finish the cups. Cut a strip of cardboard that’s approximately two inches wide and twice as long as the width of the diaper. Twist the cardboard into a tube shape and tape or glue in place. Fit the cardboard ring into the diaper so that it will stand on its own. You can now fill the cups with the treats you want.
Use a different method to create a long-lasting diaper that will not only stand on its own but can also be used as a decor piece later. Use the microwave to melt white paraffin for dipping the diapers. Or, use the double-boiler method, where you boil a pan of water, then place the paraffin in a second pan on top of the boiling water. The microwave technique is much quicker. Dip the diapers into the melted wax and set them out on paper towels. Do them one at a time and use an object to shape them. The object you use can be tweezers, a fork or other object. Simply dip the diaper, place it on newspapers or paper towels, and as it cools, use an object to shape it without touching the hot wax. The wax dries quickly and the diaper will then hold its shape.
The finished diapers can be used as-is to hold the goodies you’re serving but can be used after that as a unique decor piece. Set a small plant in the diaper and use it for a vase. Or, use the wax diaper in a baby’s room to hold hair accessories or other items. And, of course, you can always just set the unique diaper decor on a shelf in a child’s room. Instead of using the diaper cups for treats or goodies use them to mark places at the table. After forming the diapers and dipping them in wax use a paint marker to write each person’s name on one of the diapers.
Don’t want to take the time to make all those nut or mint cups? Make a different diaper that can become the centerpiece for the baby shower. Cut a much larger square, fold it into a triangle, then gather the corners together in the front and pin them. Dip the diaper in wax or make the cardboard ring that holds the diaper upright. The centerpiece can hold flowers, balloons or even a bunch of small gifts for the mom-to-be. It’s a cute way to make a nice centerpiece for very little money. You’ll find all the diaper projects very easy to accomplish and very inexpensive to make. They’re unique and will definitely grab attention at the baby shower!
