How to Make Indian Jingle Cones

Cone-shaped metal is used for making jingling cones.

Making Indian jingle cones is simple if you have the right tools and materials. Indian jingle cones are used to adorn Indian jingle dance dresses. When jingle cones are worn on Indian jingle dresses by dancers, together they make a jingling sound. Native American Indians believe that the sound of the jingling cones carries prayers and good wishes to the Creator.

Things You'll Need

• Tin tobacco lids
• Metal cutting scissors
• Metal file
• Needle-nose pliers
• Tin or metal punch
• Hammer

Instructions

1. Purchase the tin tobacco lids. Tin tobacco lids are sold in specialty Native American craft supply catalogs. Tin lids can also be collected from chewing tobacco cans; inquire with a tobacco shop about purchasing tin tobacco can lids.

2. Trim off the metal rims of the tin lids that you collected with the metal cutting scissors. Cut the metal rims using smooth scissor strokes. This will create fewer jagged edges for you to file down later on. This step will not be needed if you purchase tin lids with the rims already removed.

3. File the rims to smooth them of any sharp or jagged metal. File the metal edges by directing the file outward away from the body. Do not use a back and forth sawing motion when filing metal. This step will not be needed if you purchase tin lids with the rims already removed.

4. Grasp the tin lid with the needle-nose pliers on one edge. Roll the tin lid inward, making a cone shape. Ensure that one end of the tin lid is smaller than the other.

5. Punch a hole in the tin lid toward the small end of the cone with the metal or tin punch and hammer. Alternately, if you have an old screwdriver, you can use it instead of a metal or tin punch to perforate the end of the tin cones.

Tips & Warnings

• If the tin lids that you use have a design on them, try to roll the tin cone so that the design part on it adds to the center of the decorative cone that you create.

• Wear safety gloves. Be careful when working with sharp metal edges.

References

• "Traditional Clothing of the Native Americans: With Patterns and Ideas for Making Authentic Traditional Clothing, Making Modern Buckskin Clothing and a Section on Tanning"; Evard Gibby; 2001
• "Identity by Design: Tradition, Change, and Celebration in Native Women's Dresses"; National Museum of The American Indian; 2007

Resources

• "Pow Wow Dancer's and Craftworker's Handbook"; Adolph Hungry Wolf; 1996
• Centralia Fur & Hide: Jingle Cones & Lids