Yarn packaging has one job, and it usually ends when the paper band comes off. Most knitters then buy a separate ceramic yarn bowl to keep the ball from rolling across the floor. ShenZhen YUTO Packaging Technology designed its Ice Cream Cone-Shaped Yarn Packaging, a waffle cone yarn packaging concept, to do both jobs.
The package seats a ball of yarn inside a folded paper cone. An outlet at the tip lets the strand feed out as you knit. The whole thing looks like a waffle cone.
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An award-winning concept
YUTO is a Shenzhen-listed packaging manufacturer with more than 50 manufacturing centers worldwide. A team led by Li Xingguo and Ding Zhiyong developed the cone. It won Red Dot’s Best of the Best award in the 2026 Design Concept competition, which goes to the top entries in each category.
Designers: Li Xingguo, Ding Zhiyong, Yang Li, Li Xiang and Ding Qiqi, ShenZhen YUTO Packaging Technology.
How the cone works
The cone folds from a single sheet of paper. At the top, an interlocking paper lock holds the yarn ball in place through shipping, shelf time and transport in a bag.
At the tip, a small outlet releases the strand as you knit. The ball stays put while the yarn slides free. That is the function a yarn bowl’s curled slot performs.
According to Red Dot’s description, this design also works as a support stand and a needle holder. In YUTO’s photos, the cones lie on their sides or stand upright in a row. A cone cannot balance on its point.
Why the design sells the idea
A white diamond grid printed on kraft paper turns a plain cone into a waffle cone. The open top lets the yarn act as the scoop, so the yarn’s color and texture do the selling. A curved band with flowing script wraps each scoop.
YUTO’s write-up describes the design as biomimetic, though the visual reference is dessert. Naoto Fukasawa used a similar visual joke on his Juice Skin juice boxes, which are styled as banana and strawberry peels. YUTO applies the same approach to a product that is not food.
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Michaels’ 2026 Creativity Trend Report found that searches for knitting, crochet and embroidery rose 136 percent over six months. Packaging that photographs well suits that audience, and a row of pastel cones is easy to photograph.
The cone also fits a pattern in YUTO’s 2026 work. The company’s other entries include a mortise-and-tenon toolbox and a wine package, each folded from a single sheet of paper.
The cone is still a concept, not a product on store shelves. Its real test is whether a yarn brand adopts it. If it does, the wrapper would have to outlast the yarn it holds, and that is a higher standard than most packaging meets.
Source: yankodesign.com
Frequently asked questions
Who designed the waffle cone yarn packaging concept?
ShenZhen YUTO Packaging Technology designed the Ice Cream Cone-Shaped Yarn Packaging. A team led by Li Xingguo and Ding Zhiyong developed the cone.
How does yarn feed out of the cone packaging?
A small outlet at the tip of the folded paper cone releases the strand as you knit. The yarn ball stays in place while the yarn slides free through the outlet.
Is the yarn cone packaging sold in stores yet?
No, the cone is still a concept rather than a product on store shelves. Its real test would be whether a yarn brand adopts it.
What award did the yarn cone packaging win?
The cone won Red Dot’s Best of the Best award in the 2026 Design Concept competition. The award goes to the top entries in each category.
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