Carrot Clone Cones

My high-strung, cranky computer took it to a higher level yesterday. (It doesn't want much to do with Photoshop on a good day!) So, Friday Freebie day came dangerously close to being Friday. Just plain old Friday.

I ran a virus scan. Nothing. I ran a boot scan. Squeaky clean. I ran out of ideas--definitely not a computer guru.

So, while the going is still good for now, here's Friday's Freebie:

The printable link is here. Click on the image that comes up from the link to enlarge it, then right-click on the enlarged image to save it to your computer.

Print the pattern out on card stock for best durability, then cut it out.

Roll the pie-shaped piece into a cone shape to help train it to curve before you apply glue stick, especially curving it near the pointed end.

UPDATE: You can make the cardstock more flexible by holding the cone piece between both hands, right-side up, and pulling it back and forth against the edge of a door or table. Kind of like shining a shoe. Make sure to concentrate on the pointed end because it needs to make the tightest turn to form the cone.

UPDATE: It might be easier to tape it instead of gluing it.

Next, apply glue over the light peach-colored section on one side. Overlap the side edges, the light peach-colored section going underneath the side that's the main color. I used glue stick to glue my cone together, but I had a lot of gaps and had to use a toothpick smeared with glue stick to apply glue inside those gaps. I also held a pencil inside the cone, up against the seam I was gluing, providing a firmer surface for pressing the two sides together.

Once the glue has dried, use a hole punch to create holes near the top of the cone, where the X's indicate.

Cut two 36" pieces of curling ribbon. I folded each piece in half, then used a lark's head knot to attach each ribbon to a side of the cone.

I brought all four pieces of ribbon together into a single overhand knot, centered roughly 7" from the top of the cone. Use the edge of a pair of scissors to lightly curl the loose ends of the ribbon above the knot.

Sign the tag. I stapled the tag to the front of the cone, but you can punch a hole in the tag and slide it onto one of the ribbons before you tie them together in an overhand knot. The ribbon on top of the cone is made from 9 pieces of ribbon stapled together at the center, curled, and attached.

(Thankfully, creating a cone is pretty basic to figure out on your own if the rambling of my computer-tortured mind didn't make any sense!)

Since I'm not sure about the suitability of printer's ink being so close to food, I also created a liner by cutting a plastic sandwich baggie diagonally from one bottom corner across to the opposite top corner. This bag bunches up inside the cone, a little ruffled, but I'm fine with that and also with its pointed uneven ends.

The cone can be hung from a doorknob like a May Day basket. Or not. Fill it and personalize it any way you want. I think I want mini carrot muffins. Or Annie's Cheddar Bunnies (shown) make a nice savory change of pace. (Wait. I actually posted something before the holiday?)

Enjoy your visit--and have a wonderful conference weekend!


Susan