by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Little did she know it at the time, but her creation of a one-layer diaper cake led eventually to a new business for Steph Theis of Sartell.
A diaper cake is a decorative centerpiece usually made for a baby’s shower party or other occasion. New diapers are wrapped, rolled or otherwise fashioned into what looks like a white-frosted cake with lots of ribbons, decorations and knick-knacks.
One day a friend sent Theis a photo on Facebook of a diaper cake. Theis decided to make one herself. She did, then she made a few more because they were in high demand. She sold all of them like hot cakes.
She was so successful and it was so much fun making them she decided to branch off to other baby-related items. She started making diaper babies that look like real babies; then she made diaper wreaths; later, gift baskets.
Theis became a virtual whirlwind of creativity, so much so that her creations began to fill her large four-story home.
Eventually, the idea occurred to her: open her own store. She began doing research and scouting around. On Oct. 25, her new store will officially open. It’s called “Oh Baby on 8th,” located in the Centennial Plaza on Eighth Street N. in St. Cloud.
Theis is the sole owner and operator of the store, which features virtually any gift idea for babies – plus plenty of items for adults, too.
There are, of course, the diaper babies, the diaper cakes and diaper wreaths and all kinds of other baby-creations for showers and other parties or nursery rooms. But there are also lots of gift baskets – Christmas baskets, aromatherapy baskets, Avon items baskets (Theis also sells Avon products), Vikings football baskets, golf baskets, baskets full of candles and even bundt-cake baskets with cake-mix ingredients in them.
One of Theis’s favorite recent creations is a trio of snowmen made from Mason jars stuffed with marshmallows that come in a basket filled with cocoa mix and candles – just the thing for a nippy winter night.
“I’ve always loved decorating at Christmas,” said Theis, who grew up in the below-zero borderland – St. Francis, Ontario, Canada, right above Minnesota. “When I was a young girl, I always made family Christmas wreaths out of wire hangers and dry-cleaner plastics of different colors that we’d weave around the circular hanger. Then we’d spray the plastic and put glitter on it. I was only about 8 years old when I started doing that. I also used to love to make Christmas centerpieces for the table.”
The ideas for future creations seem to tumble effortlessly from Theis’s mind like toys from Santa’s workshop.
Steph met her American husband, Bob Doehring of Rice, when he was on a fishing trip in Ontario. After their marriage, she lived in Rice. They have two grown children, Jason Doehring of Sartell and Tara Yaeger of St. Cloud. Bob Doehring passed away years ago.
Steph, now married to Glenn Theis, has lived in Sartell for about 14 years.
“Oh Baby on 8th” will be open from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday; and from noon-4 p.m. Sunday. It is closed Monday and Tuesday.
Steph Theis puts finishing touches on one of her gift baskets.
A little-red wagon filled with baby comfort items is just one of hundreds of gift items that will be sold at “Oh Baby on 8th.”
Three matching diaper cakes are just some of the many baby items made by Steph Theis of Sartell.
Many of Steph Theis’s diaper cakes are topped with whimsical cartoon characters or small cuddly critters.
