What’s a Diaper Party? [And How to Throw One!]

By April Duffy •  Updated: 06/23/24 •  9 min read

Diaper parties are a fairly new social invention, along the same lines as gender reveals and baby arrival parties, so you’ll be excused if you’re not up on what they are and how to throw one. You’re in the right place though because in this article, I’ll go over everything you need to know about diaper parties.

So, what is a diaper party? A diaper party is a kind of baby shower for the guys, which has a better ring to it than “Dadchelor Party” or a “Man Shower.” Since they’re for the dad-to-be, diaper parties are usually more casual than baby showers, scrapping the games and finger sandwiches, and replacing them with beer and barbeque. Diaper party guests are asked to bring diapers and baby wipes rather stereotypical baby shower gifts.

Are Diaper Parties JUST for the Guys?

Not at all! While a diaper party was first created to be a party for the father to be and his guy friends, as with anything people are quickly making it their own and adapting it to their lifestyle. It’s common now to hold a diaper party for both parents-to-be no matter their gender.

Really any celebration of a baby-on-the-way that asks for diapers as the only gift qualifies as a diaper party, no matter who attends. Diaper party decorations and diaper party games are often low-key if they exist at all, and diaper party food is simple and often bbq, this is another key feature of a diaper party over a baby shower.

But of course the most important part is that friends and family are able to gather to celebrate the new expecting parents and new baby.

Who Throws a Diaper Party?

As with baby shower etiquette, dad shouldn’t be throwing his own diaper party. Close friends and family members should throw this party, and take care of all of the organizing and costs associated with it. The diaper party can be thought of as a gift in itself.

Since diaper parties aren’t asking for expensive, elaborate baby items like cribs, strollers, etc. they are totally appropriate to have even if it’s not dad’s first baby.

Who Do You Invite to A Diaper Party?

A traditional diaper party for a new dad should first and foremost include the close male friends and family of the dad-to-be. If the party includes both parents, all the couple’s close friends and family could be invited.

If it makes sense, co workers and other casual friends can be invited as well, but usually the parents-to-should be consulted to sign-off on such types of guests first to make sure it’s appropriate for those relationships.

What Should You Include on the Diaper Party Invitations?

No matter how small the guest list, be sure to include a brief description of the diaper party, including asking for diapers rather than traditional baby gifts. Be clear about this expectation as any confusion could lead to a guest feeling out of place.

If you’re holding a cloth diaper party, giving the guests an idea of what to buy is essential since cloth diapers are hard to find, and good ones are even harder to source. A good idea is to register for some cloth diapers you want and include the link on your invitation.

MyRegistry.com is my favorite place to send cloth diaper parents to build their registry because it’s VERY simple to use (for both the parents-to-be and guests) and it’s a universal registry. What that means is you can add diapers from websites all over the internet to your registry for guests to find with one link.

MyRegistry even has an app you can put on your phone to add baby items to your registry while you’re out shopping. And of course it’s for everything baby, not just cloth diapers. Check out their baby registry page for more information here.

If you’re not sure what to put on your cloth diaper registry yet, I have some killer recommendations at the bottom of this article, all of which you could add to your MyRegistry account (even the subscription)!

When Should Invitations to a Diaper Party Be Sent Out?

While it is sometimes true that guys don’t like to make plans ahead of time, asking them to bring gifts of baby diapers and wipes, especially if they don’t have kids themselves, . If the celebration happens to be a cloth diaper party even more time is needed as picking up cloth diapers on the way to the party is likely to be impossible.

So, when should diaper party invitations be sent out? A good rule of thumb is to send diaper party invitations four weeks before you plan to hold it. Usually, it’s not advised to send out invitations to baby showers, diaper parties, etc., until at least the second trimester of the pregnancy and definitely not before the couple has announced their news themselves.

What Do You Do at A Diaper Party?

If you’re wondering what to do at a diaper party, don’t stress — it’s mostly about spending time together and celebrating. Diaper parties are a great way to celebrate without having to participate in elaborate games or awkward events, as they are super casual.

Generally, it’s all about the food, drinks, and fun conversation.

With that said, one way to make things fun is to hold a diaper raffle.

What is a Diaper Raffle?

A diaper raffle is exactly that, a raffle where you give guests a ticket for every box of diapers and wipes, or every cloth diaper they bring. After everyone has arrived and the tickets distributed a draw is held for the raffle prize(s).

What Do You Bring to A Diaper Party?

If you’ve read this far down the article you’ll already know that if you’re invited to a diaper party, you should give the couple diapers, not the stereotypical baby shower gift. With that said, it is possible that a cloth diaper party could also include cloth diaper detergent to wash diaper in.

However, unless the parents-to-be stipulate their cloth diaper detergent of choice and specifically ask for it, it’s a good idea to leave detergent off the to-buy list. Many “detergents” marketed as “made for cloth diapers” are actually really bad for cleaning cloth diapers, which most guests won’t know.

What Size Diapers do You Bring to a Diaper Party (or Baby Shower)?

Cloth Diaper Party

If it’s a cloth diaper party you’re invited to, bring a “one-size” or “OS diaper.” This diaper will usually fit babies from about three or four months of age to about when it’s time to potty train. This is of course unless the mom is having twins and is REALLY keen on cloth diapering. In that case, a newborn diaper (or two) is a good idea since twins are usually born prematurely, and won’t fit into those one-size diapers for a while.

Disposable Diaper Party

If you’re invited to a disposable diaper party, bring size 1 or larger as some babies are born right into size 1. Since EVERYONE will be bringing diapers, and the inclination is to bring small sizes, bringing diapers in size 3, 4 or even 5 is a nice touch as everyone else will probably have the smaller sizes covered.

Do You Wrap Diapers for a Diaper Party?

If you’re bringing cloth diapers to your diaper party, wrapping them is definitely recommended. Cloth diapers can be treasured items among cloth diaper people especially, so having them thrown about unprotected, potentially in the backyard could be upsetting — for real!

If however, you’re bringing disposable diapers, a nice bow is often enough. It’s already expected that any gift will be diapers and the atmosphere is pretty relaxed at a diaper party. Plus, the diapers are well protected in the box and packaging.

Can You Bring Disposable Diapers to a Cloth Diaper Party?

Sometimes, friends and family who have raised their own children think they know what is best for the parents to be — after all, they have a lot more experience.

No matter how good your intentions are, do not bring disposable diapers to a cloth diaper party if the parents-to-be have asked for cloth diapers only. It’s rude, judgemental, and hurtful, period.

I regularly hear from parents who are severely hurt and angered to have their friends and family do this to them. Don’t do it.

Can You Bring Cloth Diapers to a Disposable Diaper Party?

While I don’t hear from many disposable diaper parents crying because their family brought them a cloth diaper or two, that doesn’t mean it’s any less disrespectful, and it doesn’t mean that the diaper you bought won’t end up in the trash.

Unless the parents-to-be has expressed an openness to learning more about cloth diapers, don’t assume that they just don’t know any better. This is the exact same behavior as the person who thinks they know someone will give up on cloth diapers, and gives new parents disposable diapers at a cloth diaper party.

If you want to start a discussion with someone about cloth diapers, to see if they may be open to the idea, do so outside of the event and do so in a way that’s kind and respectful of their decisions.

Best Giftable Cloth Diapers for Diaper Parties

Whether you’ve been invited to a cloth diaper party and need easy ideas to bring, or are registering for cloth diapers and need a place to start, I have some suggestions here for you.

Below you’ll just find the time and the links to purchase them, but if you’re having trouble deciding or need more information, I have a full post explaining why each of these gifts made it onto my Best Gifts for Cloth Diaper Showers, Sprinkles, and Diaper Parties, right here.

Best Cloth Diapers to Gift Under $15

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April Duffy

April is the founder of Cloth Diapers for Beginners and author of The Cloth Diaper Wash & Care Handbook. Since 2015, April has helped well over 75,000 parents and caregivers cloth diaper their children through this website, her book, her YouTube Channel, and the Cloth Diapers for Beginners Facebook Group.