This DIY crane diaper cake is a great baby gift for your next baby shower! This is so cute and easy to make, plus it will totally be the talk of the baby shower. So adorable, this diaper cake is easy to make and simply adorable. Customize with your own colors and preferences to make this fit your baby's gift needs.

Jump to:

DIY Crane Diaper Cake
What Gifts Can I Add to The Crane?
How Can I Wrap This Baby Gift?
What Ways Can I Decorate This Crane?
Supplies Needed
How to Make a Crane Diaper Cake
More Baby Shower Gift Ideas
Materials
Tools
Instructions
Notes
Recommended Products
Finished Project Gallery

DIY Crane Diaper Cake

When you are looking for a unique baby gift idea and want to make a diaper cake, this crane diaper cake is a fantastic choice. This takes making a baby gift to a whole new level. Not only is it a great useful choice, but it is also perfect for decorating at a baby shower. It's such a cool idea to make a centerpiece on the gift table, or even to surround by your favorite party treats.

What Gifts Can I Add to The Crane?

There are so many things that can go into this crane. I like to fill it with things that I know the new baby will need. Things like baby rattles, pacifiers, or onesies. Other things that can be given with this crane diaper cake are:

Toiletries like baby wash, shampoo, nail clippers, and a little hairbrush.
Emergency needs like Tylenol, Advil, teething gel, and gripe water.
Clothes for when the baby is older. Things like socks, outfits, sweaters, hats, or even pajamas in various sizes.
Baby toys for infants and toddlers so they have something ready to go as the baby grows up.
Small gifts for older siblings.
Self-care and pampering items for the mom like nail polish, body wash, bubble bath, or even fuzzy slippers.

How Can I Wrap This Baby Gift?

When you are giving this gift, while it is absolutely adorable, you might not want it seen until it is time to open gifts. There are several ways that you can wrap this baby gift.

Cellophane: Using cellophane is one decorative way to wrap this gift. The cellophane can be wrapped around the whole gift. There is decorative cellophane that you can use or tie everything together with a beautiful bow.
Large Box: Boxes can be used also. Use a large box, place the crane diaper cake inside, and then you can wrap the box with pretty baby shower wrapping paper.
Large Gift Bag: Sometimes it is just easiest to place the gift inside of a gift bag. This diaper cake will need a large gift bag to fit is all inside.
Receiving Blankets: If you want to use something that can also be used by the new parents a receiving blanket, baby blankets, or crib sheets can be used. This is a fun way to give the gift-wrapped, it is also that can be used.

What Ways Can I Decorate This Crane?

I stuck with simple decorations and colors for this example but you can easily turn this into anything that works for your shower style. Use wrapping paper and ribbon in your party colors, or in traditional pink and blue colors. Add a fake boulder to the end of the crane by wrapping an onesie or other clothing item in wrapping paper.

Other ideas include adding stickers, signs to congratulate the new parents, or a few smaller toys tucked into the cab of the crane along with the main stuffed animal. You can even find a few toy cranes to add to the look if you know the parents would appreciate them for the baby when they are older.

Supplies Needed

Diapers
Dowels or skewers
Cardboard
Wide cardboard tube
Thin cardboard tube
Light green wrapping paper
Yellow glitter foam paper
White tissue paper or wrapping paper
Green ribbon
Polka dot ribbon
Black twine
Rubber bands
Stuffed animal
Double-sided tape
Scissors
Hot glue gun
Hot glue sticks

How to Make a Crane Diaper Cake

Using the smaller cardboard tube, trace a hole in the larger cardboard tube on one end.

Cut out the hole all the way through, so there are parallel holes on either side of the tube.

Wrap the larger cardboard tube in lighter-colored wrapping paper.

Punch through the hole and tuck the excess paper into the tube and tape or glue to secure.

Starting at one end of the thin tube, wrap the dark green ribbon around the tube, covering all of the cardboard. You can also use wrapping paper.

Push the thin tube through the hole punctured in the wider tube, then set aside.

On a large piece of cardboard that is around 12" and at least 3 ½' long, measure the height of the crane cab to make sure it will hold the stuffed animal. About 10-12" tall is average.

Score and fold the cardboard at this measurement, then again about ¾ that length of the cardboard.

Measure another section after the shorter one that is equal to the first and then measure another slightly shorter section, scoring and folding all of these.

On the first of the smaller sections, draw a square to be the cab window.

Use scissors or a craft knife to cut out the square.

Cover this entire length of cardboard with white tissue paper cutting and folding the portion over the window of the cab inward and taping or gluing to secure.

Fold the covered cardboard so that the opening is on the front, the two smaller pieces are on the top and bottom, and the back connects to the top with glue, then set aside.

Glue dark green ribbon around the cab window edges.

Cut out 2 small circles of yellow sparkly foam paper and glue it to the front of the cab just under the window.

Roll 15 diapers and secure them with rubber bands.

Slide two diapers onto a dowel.

Repeat this 5 times.

Place these 5 sets of diapers side by side to create a rectangle shape.

Use the polka dot ribbon to wrap around the diapers and tie them to secure them.

Add another length of the green ribbon around the diapers on either side of the polka dot ribbon. Spread these ribbons apart so they are equal distance from each other and the ends of the diapers.

Cut out a square of cardboard to create a bed for the cab of the crane. You can also cut the top off of a box until there is only 3-4" height on all sides. A shoebox lid is also a good idea.

Wrap this base with white tissue paper.

Add double-sided tape to the bottom of this box on the same length or section the ribbon will be on the diapers.

Attach this box base to the diapers, sitting them on top of the ribbons. Be careful not to let the tape stick to the diapers, or they won't be usable.

Use scissors or a craft knife and cut a small hole through the end of both sides of the smaller tube you wrapped earlier.

Push the twine through one of the holes and tie it to the underside of the tube to secure it.

Run the twine down to the other hole and leaving a bit of slack, stick the twine through the hole and tie to secure leaving about 6" of twine dangling underneath the tube.

Tie one of the diapers you rolled earlier to the end of this twine.

Glue the cab of the crane onto the base.

Glue the end of the larger cardboard tube onto the base behind the cab making sure the smaller tube hangs over the end of the front of the cab.

Add the remaining diapers to the back empty part of the crane cab by the cardboard tube.

Add your stuffed animal, toys, or gifts inside the cab of the crane.

More Baby Shower Gift Ideas

Crafting Tip

Pick up more baby shower decor and diaper cake additions on Etsy for creating a full theme with your diaper cake. There are tons of different themed printables and kits that can also be customized!

Yield: 1

Adorable DIY Crane Diaper Cake Baby Shower Gift

Make this adorable DIY crane diaper cake for a perfect baby gift to take to your next friends baby shower!

Active Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Difficulty Medium

Estimated Cost $1

Materials

Tools

Instructions

Trace a circle onto one end of the larger cardboard tube;
Cut the hole out and through the other side of the tube;
Wrap the tube in wrapping paper;
Starting on one end of the small tube, wrap ribbon around it covering all of the cardboard;
Push the small tube through the holes created on the large tube and set this aside;
On a large piece of cardboard that is around 12" and at least 3 ½' long, measure the height of the crane cab to make sure it will hold the stuffed animal. About 10-12" tall is average;
Score and fold the cardboard at this measurement, then again about ¾ that length of the cardboard;
Measure another section after the shorter one that is equal to the first and then measure another slightly shorter section, scoring and folding all of these;
On the first of the smaller sections, draw a square to be the cab window then cut that out with a craft knife to create the cab window;
Cover the entire cardboard piece with white paper or tissue paper;
Cut out the portion over the cab and fold in to cover edges then tape in place;
Fold the cardboard into the cab shape and glue to secure;
Glue ribbon around the edges of the cab window;
Cut out 2 circles of yellow glitter paper and glue just under the window;
Roll 15 diapers and secure them with rubber bands;
Separate 10 diapers then slide 2 onto a dowel and repeat 5 times creating 5 sets of two;
Use the polka dot ribbon to wrap and tie around the middle of the diapers laying side by side;
Add two lengths of green ribbon on either side of the polka dot ribbon;
Wrap a short square of cardboard or shoebox top with white paper;
Add strips of double sided tape onto the bottom of this box and attach lining up the three ribbons to the tape;
Use scissors to cut a small hole on each end of the small tube;
Make sure that the tube is pushed through the larger tube so that ¾ is hanging out one end;
Slip the twine through one hole and tie underneath the tube, then pull over the top and string through the hole on the other end leaving about 6" extra twine;
Tie this string around a diaper and leave it dangling;
Glue the cab of the crane to the top of the base;
Secure the tubes to the back of the base right behind the cab;
Fill the back of the crane with diapers;
Add the stuffed animal and any other toys to the crane cab.