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Die-cut cone holders · 2, 4 and 6 hole layouts
Custom Ice Cream Cone Trays
Flat board trays with die-cut holes that hold filled cones upright, so one person can carry four at once and your staff can scoop ahead of the queue. Printed to your artwork.
- 2, 4 and 6 cone layouts
- Holes cut to your cone
- 500 piece minimum
- Free digital proof
From $0.50 per trayVolume pricing from 500 units · final price on your quote
500
Minimum per design
Volume pricing from 1,000
6–7 days
Standard production
After you approve the proof
Free
Dieline and proof
Built around your item
Worldwide
Tracked shipping
Quoted with the job
In short
An ice cream cone tray, also called a cone holder, is a board tray with die-cut holes that hold filled cones upright so several can be carried at once or scooped in advance. The Cone Sleeves makes 2, 4 and 6 hole layouts on food-safe white, kraft or recycled board, from 500 pieces per design, with a free digital proof and 6–7 business day production.
Why shops order ice cream cone trays from us
Holes cut to your cone
The hole diameter is matched to the cone you buy. A hole a few millimeters too wide lets a cone drop through; too tight and it will not seat.
Four cones, one hand
A parent buying for the family carries them all in one trip instead of two, which is the reason most shops order these in the first place.
Scoop ahead of the rush
Filled cones can be parked upright on the counter during a queue, so scooping is not blocked by whoever is paying at the register.
Rigid when loaded
Board caliper is set so a tray of six filled cones does not bow in the middle and tip the outer ones as it is picked up.
Ships flat, folds fast
Trays arrive flat and scored and pop into shape in a second, so a kiosk with one shelf of storage is not stacking bulky formed trays.
Branding at eye level
The tray sits under four cones being carried across a park. The print on it is seen by everyone the customer walks past.
Printed work
Ice Cream Cone Trays we have printed
Every run below started as somebody's artwork on plain board. Yours is quoted the same way, whatever the shape.
Specifications
Everything this order includes
These are the options we quote against. If you need something outside them, ask — most custom sizes and finishes are possible, and the quote will say so plainly.
| Holds | 2, 4 or 6 filled cones upright; custom hole counts and layouts on request |
|---|---|
| Hole diameter | Cut to your cone, typically around 1.5–2 in across the top rim |
| Carry style | Flat carry tray, low-wall tray, or a raised handle panel between the holes |
| Board | White SBS cardstock, natural kraft or recycled board in a rigid tray caliper |
| Printing | Full-color CMYK, single-color logo or Pantone spot colors |
| Finish | Gloss or matte lamination, spot UV, foil stamping, or uncoated |
| Minimum order | 500 pieces per design, with volume pricing from 1,000 |
| Turnaround | 6–7 business days after proof approval; 3–4 day rush on request |
| Packing | Shipped flat and scored, folded at your counter, worldwide with tracking |
How a cone tray actually works
A cone tray is not a tray in the usual sense. It is a flat piece of board with holes die-cut through it, and the cone drops into a hole until its taper wedges it in place. Everything above the board — the cone, the scoop, the sprinkles — hangs off that single point of contact, which is why two measurements decide whether the tray works at all.
The first is hole diameter. Because a cone is a taper, the hole sets how deep the cone sits. A hole cut a few millimeters too wide lets the cone slide down until the scoop rests on the board; a few millimeters too tight and staff have to force it, which cracks the rim. We cut the hole to the cone you actually buy, not to a generic size.
The second is rigidity. Six filled waffle cones is a real load in the middle of a flat sheet. If the board flexes, the outer holes tilt outward and the cones lean. We specify a heavier caliper for the four and six hole layouts, and place the holes far enough apart that scoops do not touch.
Two, four or six holes: choosing a layout
Hole count is a service decision more than a packaging one. Look at what a typical order at your counter looks like.
- Two holes — a small, cheap carrier for a couple. Uses the least board, fits in one hand easily, and stores in almost no space. The layout most trucks and window kiosks start with.
- Four holes — the family size and the most common order. Two by two is the steadiest arrangement; a single row of four is easier to carry through a crowd but wants a stiffer board.
- Six holes — for group orders, parties and catering, and for pre-scooping during a rush. Needs the heaviest board and the widest hole spacing so scoops do not knock together.
You can also add a raised center panel between the holes so the tray has a handle, which changes how it is carried and gives you a second printed surface at eye level. Send us a sample cone, or a photo of a filled cone with a ruler alongside it, and we will build the dieline free and show you the layout on a proof before anything prints. Our guide to measuring cones before you order covers how to take the measurement properly.
Cone sleeve or cone tray? When a shop needs each
They solve different problems, and most shops that serve cones end up buying both.
- A cone sleeve wraps a single cone in one customer's hand. It insulates the hand, absorbs the melt running down the outside, and travels with the cone until it is finished. One sleeve, one person, the whole time they are eating.
- A cone tray holds several filled cones upright and is used for the trip from the counter to the table, the car or the picnic blanket. It is a carrier, not a wrapper, and it is usually put down or thrown away as soon as everyone has taken their cone.
The rule of thumb is simple: if the problem is a cold, sticky hand, you need a sleeve. If the problem is one person and four cones, you need a tray. A shop that only ever sells single cones can skip the tray; a truck serving families cannot. Order both and we print them on the same board and finish, so a printed sleeve for a single cone and the tray under it read as one set.
Board, print and finish for a tray that gets dripped on
A loaded cone tray gets wet from above. Melt runs down the cone, reaches the hole, and pools on the board around it, so the surface around each hole is the part that has to hold up.
White SBS cardstock is the brightest base and the usual pick for full-color work — flavors, characters, seasonal art and photographs all reproduce cleanly on it. Natural kraft is the warm brown, artisan-looking option; ink shifts warmer on it, so it suits a one- or two-color logo better than photographic art. Recycled board carries a flecked texture and is the choice where sustainability is part of the pitch, and our note on board weights and coatings explained covers the differences in detail.
For finish, gloss or matte lamination adds real moisture resistance where melt collects, and matte photographs better under a shop's overhead lighting. Uncoated is the most recyclable and takes a marker if staff write flavors on the tray, but it darkens where a drip sits. Spot UV and foil are worth it on the handle panel, which is the surface at eye level while the tray is being carried.
Where these are used
- Scoop shops and parlors
- Ice cream trucks and trailers
- Beach and park kiosks
- Birthday parties and family orders
- Weddings and event catering
- Fair and carnival concessions
- Cinema and stadium dessert counters
Not sure on size?
Send a sample or a photo with a ruler beside it and we cut the dieline to fit. There is no charge for the dieline or the digital proof.
Ask a questionHow the order runs
- You send sizes, quantity and artwork, or just a photo of the item.
- We build the dieline and come back with a written price.
- You approve a digital proof with your artwork laid on it.
- We print, cut and ship, with tracking on the carton.
Materials and printing
Board and print, side by side
Three boards and three ways to print on them. Every combination below is quoted the same way, so the choice is about how you want the packaging to feel in the hand.
Choose the board
Natural kraft
Unbleached brown board. Ink sits into the surface rather than on top of it, which mutes bright colors and reads as craft and small-batch.
Recycled board
Post-consumer fiber with a slight fleck through it. It takes a one or two color mark well and tells the customer what it is without a claim printed on it.
Choose how it prints
Full-color CMYK
Four process inks. The right choice when the artwork is a photograph, an illustration or anything with a gradient in it.
Single-color logo
One ink on plain board. It is the least expensive way to print a run and, on kraft, it is often the better looking one.
Pantone spot colors
A mixed ink matched to a Pantone reference. Use it when a brand color has to be exact across every reprint.
Ice Cream Cone Trays designer
Design your ice cream cone trays
Build the specification for ice cream cone trays step by step — size, board, print and finish — and send it for a quote. Five short steps, no account.
Questions
Ice Cream Cone Trays: common questions
What is a custom ice cream cone holder?
It is the same product as a cone tray. A flat board with die-cut holes that hold filled cones upright, so several can be carried at once or set down while a customer pays. Suppliers use "holder", "tray" and "caddy" interchangeably, so you are comparing the same thing.
How many cones can one tray hold?
Two, four and six are the standard layouts and cover almost every order. We can die-cut other counts and arrangements if your service needs them — three in a row for a trio deal, or eight for catering — with the board weight stepped up to match the load.
How do you get the hole size right for my cones?
Send us a cone, or a photo of a filled cone beside a ruler, and tell us the type. Because a cone tapers, the hole diameter sets how far it drops in, so we cut to your specific cone rather than an average. Waffle, sugar, cake and kiddie cones all differ.
Will the tray hold up with six full cones on it?
Yes, when the board is specified for it. We use a heavier caliper on the four and six hole layouts and space the holes so scoops do not touch. A tray that flexes tips the outer cones, so rigidity is the thing we check first on a proof.
Can I use a cone tray to pre-scoop during a rush?
That is one of the main reasons shops buy them. Filled cones sit upright on the counter instead of being held by a member of staff, so scooping and taking payment stop competing for the same pair of hands during a queue.
Do cone trays arrive flat or already formed?
Flat and scored. They fold into shape at your counter in a second, which keeps the shipping volume low and means a kiosk with one storage shelf can keep a season of stock on hand. Formed trays waste most of the box on air.
Can the tray be printed on both sides?
Yes. The top face is what everyone sees while the tray is carried, and the underside shows when it is lifted off a table. If the design includes a raised handle panel between the holes, that panel prints too and sits at eye level.
What is the smallest order of custom cone trays?
Five hundred trays per design, the same minimum as our sleeves. Volume pricing starts at 1,000, so a shop that sells family orders regularly usually orders past that break. Ask for a quote at two quantities and compare.
Related products
Often ordered alongside
Free quote · No obligation
Tell us your cone, we will price the sleeve
Send your size, quantity and artwork. You get a written quote and a free digital proof before anything goes to press.