This is the perfect gift for any expecting mom who is into fitness or Crossfit. It's a great way to show your appreciation and congratulate her on the new addition to her family. This gym-themed barbell diaper cake is made out of diapers and a few craft supplies with a cute little stuffed animal looking like it is trying to lift the barbell. It makes a great centerpiece for any baby shower - or just as a sweet gift for the new parents.

Barbell Diaper Cake

Diaper cakes are always fun for a baby shower or a themed present for the parents. They are really easy to make and can be made in all kinds of themes. The diaper cakes can be used as a centerpiece at the baby shower, as decorations in the baby's room, and then taken apart so that the parents can use the diapers and stuffed animals.

With this adorable barbell diaper cake, you can give a fun gift idea that is also useful. If you like this idea, then you will love the jungle-themed diaper cake or even this owl-themed diaper cake. They are some of my favorite recent creations that are just too cute and themed for a special arrival. Have fun creating this one to fit your own family or friend that is expecting.

What Can I Use for the Bar on a Fitness Diaper Cake?

The easiest option would be an empty cardboard wrapping paper tube. Since I didn't have one on hand, I just taped together a few paper towel rolls. You could also do the same thing with toilet paper rolls if needed.

Other options would be to use something like a dowel that has been painted or wrapped, or even a rolled-up blanket that the parents could also use once the baby arrives. One of my favorite ideas, however, is to replace it with a cardboard shipping tube that includes a poster or family portrait that would go in the baby's room or on the nursery wall.

What Other Ways Can I Make This Gym Themed?

There are simple ways to add other gym-themed items. How you decorate yours would depend upon the personality of the new parents or even the theme and colors of their baby shower. I like the idea of customizing this gift to really suit who receives it. Below are a few ideas that I think would look great with this project gift.

Add in a small bucket, like a kid's sand bucket, and add a sign on the front that says used towels. This is a great place to add baby washcloths, clothes, or even receiving blankets.
Put the stuffed animal in a t-shirt or baby onesie with the local gym name.
Add a jump rope, or even make your own with string and washi tape.
Use teething rings or clips to create a few hoops that look like an obstacle course on the table where you display this barbell diaper cake.
Wrap each of the "weights" or diaper bundles in solid colored paper then use a marker to draw a weight number on them so they look more like real weights.

While it may not suit most women post-pregnancy, if you know that the person who is receiving this will want to get back in the gym, you could even include some gift cards for a trainer, or similar tucked into the diapers for them to have a jumpstart when the baby is born. Be careful with this, however, as some are more sensitive to weight gain than others.

What Should I Do With Extra Diapers Once the Cake is Made?

Depending on how big you make this gift, you will likely have a few diapers leftover. You'll want to gift those to the parents as well, so how you display them or give them can be fun.

Those diapers can create a smaller more traditional one or even something simple like this baby pacifier diaper cake idea. You can also tuck them into a gift bag to slip to the parents after the baby shower. Another fun way to use them is to wrap them around baby bottles, clothes, or other gifts and then tie those into a big bundle for the parents to unfold and unroll for even more surprises.

Supplies Needed

How to Make a Barbell Diaper Cake

Begin by creating the bar part of your barbell. If you have an empty wrapping paper tube, you can skip this step. If not, you'll want to tape together 3 to 4 empty paper towel rolls to create the base of your diaper cake.

Once you have a bar created, wrap it in tissue paper or wrapping paper and cut to trim. Then glue the paper to the cardboard tube.

For added style, use a small ribbon and glue to one end of this tube, then wind it around the tube creating a spiral accent color then glue or tape on the opposite end to secure it.

Next, you'll prepare all of your diapers to use on the cake. Roll each diaper into a tube and secure with a small rubber band.

Continue this until you have made between 50 and 60 rolled diapers. Depending upon the size of diaper used, this may need to be more or even fewer.

Start by standing about 20 diapers on end in a circular shape. Leave a small hole in the center.

Wrap a large rubber band or length of ribbon around the middle to secure the bundle. Repeat this for a second large bundle of diapers.

Stick the end of the barbell you created through the opening in the center of this leaving about 10"-12" on one side.

Repeat this with the second large bundle of diapers on the opposite side of the barbell.

Now, add a single row of diapers around each end of the barbell. This could take 4 to 8 diapers. Secure them with a rubber band.

Once all of the diaper "weights" are in place, add a bit of lace ribbon around the smaller single diaper weight on each end.

Using a lighter shade of paper, wrap around the two inside larger bundles of diapers.

Lastly, add a stuffed animal in the center and place it on a table or board to display!

More Diaper Cake Ideas

If you want more ideas for gifting diaper cakes to your friends and family, we definitely have a ton of options to choose from. Below are a few more of my favorite creations that I know will surely be a hit with the new parents in your life. Make sure that you bookmark these ideas, print out the tutorials, or pin them to a baby board on Pinterest so they are handy for your next baby shower!

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Cute Baby Barbell Diaper Cake Gift Idea

This adorable baby barbell diaper cake gift is a perfect addition to any baby shower for gym lovers! A fun shower decoration too!

Active Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Estimated Cost $20

Materials

Tools

Instructions

Connect paper tubes (from paper towels) together to create one single tube that is 3' to 4' in length.
Once connected, lay on top of tissue paper or wrapping paper, roll to cover then trim to fit.
Glue the paper onto the cardboard tube.
Starting on one end of the tube, glue the thin yellow ribbon in place, then begin twisting it around to add a spiral of ribbon over the green paper.
Continue, gluing as needed, to secure to the tube then set this aside.
Now, begin rolling the diapers to the ends of the barbell. Roll into a tube and wrap a rubber band around each diaper.
You'll repeat this until you have 50 to 60 diapers rolled. The number varies depending upon diaper size.
Stand these on their ends side by side, then leave an opening in the center of the diapers.
Stick the end of the barbell into the opening in the diapers and secure it with a rubber band around the center to secure to the cardboard tube bar.
Lay the barbell with diapers on the end on the table, then push the barbell through the center leaving 1" on the end outside the diapers.
Then add a row of single diapers around the end of the barbell, and secure it with a ribbon or rubber band.
Once in place, wrap the smaller diaper "weight" with lace ribbon and glue or tape that into place to secure.
Repeat this on the other side until you have a full barbell.
Now, wrap a length of light green paper over the interior bundles of diapers.
Gift with a stuffed animal in the center of the barbell as if it is lifting the weights.