DIAPER cakes have been around for more than a decade, but only gained global recognition when Carrie presented Miranda with a huge blue one for her baby shower in the TV series Sex and the City.

These non-edible cakes are made up mainly of rolls of diapers, and are usually adorned creatively with towels, bibs, baby shoes, stuffed toys. They are popular gifts at baby showers — a Western tradition where friends of soon-to-be-parents get-together and present the couple with gifts for their baby.

Baby showers originated in the USA but are becoming increasingly popular around the globe. In Asia, they are usually female-only events.

Siti Mariam, 34, a mother and full-time employee, is one of the few people who sell diaper cakes in Singapore. She creates them in whimsical and tasteful designs, allowing clients to choose the “ingredients”, under the brand BabyTiara.

Siti with her recent creations

“I’ve been making diaper cakes as gifts for cousins and friends for three years now, but I only decided to start the business after attending a baby shower last December,” Siti recalls. “I brought along one of my creations as a gift, and got a surprisingly overwhelming response from the other guests.”

A month later, she began offering diaper cakes through a blog. She now receives an average of four orders a week. “I started out my online business by making hair accessories and brooches for children. But since I introduced diaper cakes, there has been more demand for that. Many customers also tend to order my accessories along with the cakes.“

With a full-time job to worry about, and a lack of business experience, Siti turned to the Web for self-learning. “I’m part of the online network of mothers who own similar businesses, most of them from the US, as the majority of ribbon and gift craft originated there. I learn a lot from forums too, but mostly trial and error back at home.”

Each diaper cake created by Siti, regardless of the customers’ budget, is done with attention to details and using top-of-the-range products. She says it costs cheaper to order a diaper cake than to buy each item separately, because some of them are imported.

Siti’s spends a couple of hours on Friday nights and weekend mornings creating a standard double-tier cake, which she sells for about $60. The tricky part, she says, is not putting together the diaper cake, but coming up with ideas. As most customers request specific colour themes and products to be incorporated into the cake, Siti spends most of her time online searching for suitable items.

“It’s the best part of this business actually, shopping for the products. I stock up on ribbons, baby clothes, and other gift items I think can be used in the future. This way I can pass on the discounts I get from online sales to my customers, and make it more affordable overall,” she says.

It’s not just diaper cakes that are selling, though. A couple of clueless guys have asked her to put together gifts for their colleagues. She has also entertained requests for housewarming gift hampers.

It’s a growing market, says Siti. If you’re thinking of setting up your own part-time business, she says being resourceful is a must. “You need to do thorough research. There are a lot of things available out there, but you need to know where to get them. In Singapore, you can hardly get similar items in wholesale. We only have Spotlight here, which offers a limited range.”

Visit Siti’s 88DB.com ad now. To order from Baby Tiara, you’ll need to fill up an online form stating your budget, requests, and preferences. Delivery included.