Lulu Cakes Brings Diaper Art to Rockland

Diaper cakes.

In most cases, these two words should be mutually exclusive.

But in the past few years, the diaper cake trend—arranging diapers as if a confection—has seen an uptick.

So this year, Robin Chillino of New City decided to start her very own diaper cake business.

A hairdresser by trade, Chillino had been a stay at home mom for over 20 years before launching her business. At first, Chillino began to make diaper cakes for her friends, starting at one of her friend’s baby showers. Soon, other friends were taking notice, and by word of mouth Chillino’s cakes were quickly becoming a popular item.

When Chillino felt she could make something more of her hobby, her family sat around the kitchen table brainstorming business names. 

“My sister was sitting with us, and she suggested that it be called Lulu Cakes,” Chillino recalled. “My oldest son used to call my sister Lulu when he was younger.”

Today, Chillino runs her business from home, with no help aside from her daughter on occasion. Chillino relies heavily on Facebook and word of mouth to sell her products; currently, she is in the process of building a website.

“My biggest challenge right now is just trying to get my name out there and to let people know what my product is,” Chillino said. “It’s kind of new to the market.”

Lulu Cakes has found success in the gift market—Chillino’s clientele are folks who call before attending a baby shower, or making a hospital visit to a new mother.

But what makes Lulu cakes different from its competitors, Chillino says, is that the designs aren’t limited to desserts.

“I try to make them not look like your regular diaper cakes,” Chillino said. “I’ve done things from five-tier cakes all the way to little animals.”

Many of the custom Lulu Cakes creations would seem to be stuffed animals to the naked eye—but in reality are comprised of an artistic weave of diapers, hand towels and baby socks.

And Chillino says she’s never out of new ideas.

“It could be a blanket that could inspire me, or a little frog that will cause me to buy frog slippers and rattles,” she said. “It could be anything I see.”

With any small business, success can be relative—and so often measures success by the reactions she receives.

“Just the people’s faces, and how they react when they see it and realize what it really is—it’s kind of neat to see what I’ve done,” Chillino said.

Still, there’s plenty of room to grow. 

“In a few years I really hope to be on the ‘Ellen Degeneres Show,’” Chillino said. “I’d love to bring her a cake.”