It was fete day at school and I had decided to make marshmallow cones to be sold at the cake stall. Easy enough to make, attractive and fun for the kids. But my dilemma was how to transport and store them at the stall. This is what I came up with.

Although I haven't tried, I'm sure you could use this to transport other tricky items like painted eggs, craft projects, cup cakes or maybe even REAL ice cream cones!

Best of all, at the end of a long day at the cake stall, the carrier can be recycled rather than having a plastic box go missing.

Each of my carriers could transport 15 cones each.

Step 1: Materials

You'll need:

1 x empty cereal box
1 x craft or Stanley knife
Cutting Mat
Long ruler
Pencil
Staples
Sticky Tape

The size of your carrier will be dependent on how many cones you'll be carrying and their diameter at the top. If your box is too small you may find that your cones are too tightly packed and knocking each other.

Also, select a cereal box that has high sides as you'll need to allow space for the bottom of your cones to sit in.

Step 2: Measure and Mark

Turn your cereal box inside out. To do this, peel apart at the side seam carefully so you'll be able to reassemble the box later.

With the insides (plain cardboard side) facing up and your cone diameter measurements in hand, start to mark the cardboard with a grid of lines where you'll be cutting the openings. Note that the cones I've used are smaller at the bottom than the top meaning they'll fit into the holes snugly.

My cones had a top diameter of 6cm, so I drew my lines 8cms apart to allow for a 2cm spacing between the cones. Make sure your first line is far enough away from the edge that those cones won't fall out.

Where your lines intersect is where your cones will be sitting. I was able to fit 15 cones comfortably in the box I used.

Once you have your intersections marked, go back and place marks 3cm away from the intersection of all lines. These will be your cutting guides.

Step 3: Slice

Next, get your cutting mat under your cardboard box and using your sharp knife and a (metal) ruler, cut between the guides. You need to cut all the way through the cardboard. You should end up with 15 cross shaped cuts.

You may like to use an eraser to remove the pencil marks at this point.

Step 4: Pop!

Channeling your inner origami expert, press the cardboard between the markers so you have 4 triangular flaps popping through. Depending on the thickness of your cardboard, you may need to assist by pulling from underneath.

Step 5: Rebuild the Box

Time to rebuild the box inside out. Fold the existing box creases the wrong way to get them bending the way you need them to and then tuck the box back together. You may find that the box wants to fight against you due to the memory in the folds, but be firm with them and they will release. Use staples or sticky tape to keep the panels in place.

Consider decorating the box at this point with paint or other crafty ideas. Just remember that the box is intended to be recycled at the end so this may have some bearing on the amount of effort you put into decoration.

Step 6: Finished Carrier

You're now ready to carry your cones! Test your cone for a snug fit. Include recycling instructions so the last person on the stall knows what to do with your carrier.