DIY with Ice Cream Cone Caps – Creative and Zero Waste

Ice Cream Cone Caps as Molds? Yes, Please! How Everyday Trash Became a New Creative Form

Sometimes the most inspiring shapes come from... trash. Literally. Those small plastic caps on top of ice cream cones (like from Algida or Cornetto) that we usually throw away without thinking turned out to be the perfect molds for my paper pulp experiments.

I saw potential in them – a neat conical shape, lightweight but sturdy plastic, and a form that repeats itself. All I had to do was fill them with paper pulp and let them dry. The result? Delicate paper cones, ready to be turned into mini decorations, holiday ornaments, small sculptural objects or simply used to explore texture and colour.

It’s a tiny gesture, but it means a lot to me – it fits into a zero waste mindset, gives new life to discarded materials, and opens up creative possibilities from the most unexpected places.

I collect these caps throughout summer – from my own ice creams (of course!) and from friends – and keep them in a box, waiting to be transformed. This project is just the beginning, but I can already feel something truly interesting can grow out of this “trash.”

If you also love to experiment and find form in everyday things – give it a go! Sometimes, all it takes is looking around with a different perspective.