Jingle Cones are metal discs that are rolled to create a cone shape, with one end narrower than the other. They have been traditionally used by Native Americans to sew on women’s dresses that are worn for the Jingle Dress Dance. These metal cones make a jingling sound when the dancer moves.
The original Jingle Cones were created by Native Americans from the lids of tobacco tins. These lids were rolled into cones and sewn on a fabric dress as a decoration. There are several versions of the story of how the original Jingle Dress and the dance it was made for came to be. The Jingle Dress and the accompanying dance were inspired by an Ojibwa Native American who dreamed about them around the turn of the 20th century. He or she provided instructions for how the dress was to be made and how to perform the dance. Some versions of the story say that the originator’s daughter or granddaughter was ill. This girl was healed during the performance of the new Jingle Dress Dance. Thus the Jingle Dress Dance was at first considered a healing dance.