DIY “Clown Hat” Candy Cones for Circus Party Favors

Say circus and everyone thinks of clowns! They’re colorful and full of fun—exactly the qualities you’d want for your little one’s circus-themed birthday party. For the table decorations, you could have clown dolls gracing the centerpiece, clown masks for each young guest, and a festive cake adorned with frolicking, tumbling clowns!

Then, for party favors to match, why not make your own paper cones inspired by clown hats as well? For some interactive fun, stack the cones on a tempting sweets table, and have the boys and girls scoop their own choices of candies and munchies into a clown hat as a take-home treat. But first, let’s DIY those cones!

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Step 1: Prepare the materials you’ll need. All the items can be bought at your nearest school and/or craft supply store. Or you may already have them right at home!
  • heavy card stock in different festive colors (available in 8.5″ x 11″ or 9″ x 12″ size)
  • satin ribbon in a similar assortment of colors
  • a pair of scissors
  • white craft glue
  • double-sided tape
Step 2: Roll up the paper into a cone shape. Again, there’s nothing scientific about this procedure. Just let your creative instincts guide you as to what looks festive and clown-like!

Take a sheet of card stock and roll it up in a cone shape. Leave a small opening at the pointed end (about 1/4 to 1/2-inch in diameter), to be used later in Step 6.

You can make the wide end as open or as narrow as you wish, as long as there’s a sufficient overlap to make the cone sturdy.

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Step 3: Glue the cone closed and trim off the excess paper. Here is where you complete the cone shape to simulate a clown hat.

  • Using the craft glue or the double-sided tape, seal the overlapped edge of the card stock in place. Allow the glue to dry completely.
  • Then, trim off the pointy extension of paper at the wide end of the cone, so that you have an even rim all around.
  • Repeat this procedure until you have as many finished cones as you need.
Step 4: Make “pompoms” out of colored ribbons. Now, you prepare the adornments for the clown hat cones!
  • Create fun little pompoms by looping 2 or 3 colors of ribbon back and forth several times.
  • Gather one end of the loops tightly and secure them together with double-sided tape. Note: Don’t peel off the opposite backing of the tape at this point.
  • Repeat this procedure to complete as many pompoms as the prepared cones. Use different color combinations to really make the cones a cheerful sight!

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Step 5: Proceed with the festive finishing touches by attaching the pompoms to the cones. Peel off the remaining backing of the double-sided tape from around the looped-ribbon pompom. This will provide a sticky surface for holding it in place. Wedge the taped end of the pompom into the hole you had provided in each cone, and press firmly around the opening to allow the tape to adhere. Optional: You could add a dab or two of glue from a hot-glue gun for good measure! Repeat this procedure with all the cones.
Step 6: Decorate the cone with different colors of ribbon. Continue the embellishments with ribbons. Glue ribbons in a fun mix of colors down the length of each cone, angling them slightly to create an attractive spiral effect. You may also glue the ribbons in a striped or interwoven pattern, or even create a looped or zigzag border all along the wide end of the cones. Just keep fun in mind and decorate away!

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Step 7: Form a ribbon handle and add your own finishing accents!

  • Create a handle for each cone by taking a length of ribbon and extending it beyond the open rim and back up to the other side.
  • Be sure to glue this in place and allow to dry thoroughly.
  • You need not stop there, though! Feel free to add whatever fun accents you wish—paper polka dots, stickers, felt cutouts, rick-rack, sequins-in-a-row (available in craft supply stores), and the like. Caution: Since these cones will be used for edible favors, please avoid small items like individual sequins, faux gems, or rhinestones that may come off and be accidentally swallowed.

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Step 8: Let the kids fill the cones with their choice of treats!

Come party time, set up a “fill your own favors” station for the young guests to enjoy. Just imagine the youngsters leaving the party, each with a filled clown hat cone in tow. The cutest sight for this circus party theme! A few party reminders when setting this up:

  • Stack the clown hat cones at the sweets table.
  • Set out bowls of popcorn and glass jars filled with an assortment of rainbow-colored candies and lollipops.
  • Provide scoopers and let each little one take a cone, turn it upside down, and fill it with their choice of treats.

6 Comments

  1. So fun!

    Thanks for linking up with the Caffeinated Crafters!!

    • Thanks, Jess! Nice of you to come by!

  2. These hats are adorable! What a great tutorial, and you make it look so easy!! These hats would work for so many themed parties.
    Thanks for linking up to Marvelous Monday at Smart Party Planning. Hope we see you again next week 🙂

    • So glad you like this project, Catherine! It really is pretty easy to do, plus the idea of a ‘clown hat’ fit right in with party theme. 🙂

  3. These are so cute! Great tutorial too! Pinning this to my birthday board!

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