Hello crafty friends!

I know, I know- it has been too long! I haven’t posted in a while but I have a good excuse! We are currently renovating our kitchen and using Ikea to do it- so stay tuned for more DIY home tutorials and renovation tips!

In the meantime, I have a treat for you all- my tutorial for how to create a Sweet Summer Reads Library Display with some delicious paper ice cream cones! Keep reading and I’ll share my tips and resources so you can make your own tasty paper novelties!

It was time to freshen up the library and say goodbye to my Colorful Clouds and Raindrops display. While browsing my Pinterest feed I was totally inspired by these 3D paper ice cream cones and popsicles from MrPrintables.com!

Let me tell you right now-  this awesome display would not have been possible without the generous free patterns provided by MrPrintables! Check out the rest of their website and blog for some seriously inspiring paper craft!

The first step- I downloaded the PDF patterns from the MrPrintables website!

The ice creams are sized to fit a single sheet of paper, and when assembled are cute and miniature. But I needed larger treats to really make an impact in our large children’s area!

My solution? I printed out the PDF pattern and traced the outside edge and fold lines with a thick permanent marker. I scanned the image back onto my computer and use the magic of the Silhouette Cameo to trace the pattern! This enabled me to enlarge the pattern as necessary, break it apart so it could be cut from different pieces of paper, and to perforate the fold lines for EASY assembly. *If you use this method- be sure it is only for your own use! The original creator of this 3D design worked hard so please respect their intellectual property!*

I recreated the pattern in the Silhouette Studio software to make larger ice cream cones cut from any paper of my choosing!

At first I used solid pieces of construction paper…. BORING! To really make them look mouth-watering, I used patterned scrapbook paper in pastel colors. I was NEVER going to use these patterns otherwise, so this was the perfect excuse to use them. I sized each ice cream scoop large enough to use 2 pieces of 12×12 scrapbook paper.

The waffle cones you ask? My favorite part! I ran a quick google image search for “waffle cone pattern” and found a large format high-definition JPEG. I printed this pattern on thick card stock and then cut the cone pattern from it using the Silhouette!

The popsicles were assembled with the same process- print, trace, scan, trace in the software, and cut! The popsicle sticks are just that- actual popsicle sticks!

The rest of the display was simple to create- just large letters cut out of card stock and strung on fishing line like garland. I attached the paper treats to the clouds from my previous display using fishing line as well. But my other favorite part of the display? The melting chocolate dipped cone!

I loved how the dripping cone turned out! Given more time, I would have made  caramel and strawberry ones as well!

To create the chocolate topping I cut an additional scoop out of brown construction paper and cut it by hand to resemble syrup. I glued this piece to the vanilla paper ice cream cone I had already created. I then hand cut some puddles out of white and brown construction paper- with drips, and folded the paper over the edge of the shelf. It really put this display over the edge– ha! (See what I did there 😉 ? )

I hope you are inspired to create your own Sweet Summer Reads Paper Ice Cream Cones Display! This was super fun to create and the kids in the library have really enjoyed it. We’ve paired it with books about summer activities and warm weather. But imagine the possibilities, using this idea for birthday party decorations- or even filled with candy as party favors!

 Thanks for reading! Be sure to check back because someday, SOMEDAY I promise I will post our construction process and before and after pictures of our kitchen renovation on my blog! As always, follow me on Pinterest for more DIY and paper craft inspiration!