How to Make Jingle Cones

Jingle cones are used to make traditional Native American jingle dresses. There are different stories about the dress's true origin. The most popular version, however, is that a medicine man made a jingle dress for a sick girl after seeing the dress in a vision. The sick girl put on the dress and was healed after dancing in it. For this reason, it is sometimes called a "medicine dress." Jingle cones were originally made from the tops of tobacco tins, but you can use any lightweight sheet metal.

Things You'll Need

• Lightweight sheet metal
• Safety goggles
• Work gloves
• Hacksaw with a fine-cut blade
• Need-nosed pliers
• Pointed stick

Instructions

1. Cut a trapezoid shape out of lightweight sheet metal using a hacksaw with a fine-cut blade. The trapezoid should be at least 1.5 inches tall and at least 2 inches wide.

2. Grip the edge of the trapezoid with your needle-nose pliers, and wrap the sheet metal around the pliers so you make a cone shape.

3. Slide the cone off the pliers. Stick the cone onto a pointed stick to smooth it out, if necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• You can fill the cones with tinkling bells, but it is not necessary since the cones jingle when they bang against each other.

• Wear safety goggles and work gloves when handling the hacksaw.

References

• Matoska: Jingles
• Native American Technology and Art: Instructions for Making Tinkling Cones
• Little Crow Trading Post: Ladies Jingle Dresses A Brief History