DIY Gumball Machine

Here is a terrific holiday customizeable faux DIY Gumball Machine. This is a crafter’s favorite. So easy and inexpensive to make.

What you Will Need: DIY Gumball Machine

• 1 Terracotta Flower pot — whatever size you want your machine to be
• 2 small Terracotta saucers — again depending on the size of your pot
• 1 medium terracotta saucer — again depending on the size of your pot
• 1 plain glass bowl — again depending on the size of your pot
• 1 glass/acrylic drawer knob — You can get these at any hardware store
• 1 round washer — You can get these at any hardware store
• 1 wing nut — You can get these at any hardware store
• 1 can high gloss spray paint
• Small amount of black acrylic paint
• Stickers
• E6000 craft Glue

Step 1: DIY Gumball Machine

Spray paint all of your terracotta pieces.  I chose a nice glossy red.  You can choose any color you like.  You can match your school colors, your favorite team, any holiday, or your child’s favorite cartoon character.  Anything is fair game in this project.

Step 2: DIY Gumball Machine

Once your spray paint has completely cured ( I let mine sit over night), you can start to glue the pieces together. Begin by turning the pot upside down on your covered work surface and placing one of the small saucers right side up on top and glue using craft glue.  This is the base of your gumball machine. I used E6000 that I obtained at my local affiliate craft store Joann’s Fabric and Crafts.  I like E6000 because it works on most any surface I use in my crafting projects.

Step 3: DIY Gumball Machine

Next, take the medium saucer and place it right side up.  Then take the second smaller saucer and glue it right side down into the middle of the medium saucer.  This is the lid to your gumball jar.  The smaller saucer prevents the lid from falling off.  Remember when you are purchasing your items to make sure that the saucers you buy are compatible with the glass bowl you buy or you may have a lid that does not stay on.

Step 4: DIY Gumball Machine

Glue the glass bowl onto the base of your machine using the E6000.

Step 5: DIY Gumball Machine

Add the round washer and the wing nut to simulate the coin mechanism of the gumball machine.  Both will adhere nicely using the E6000.  I let mine dry for about 30 minutes before I handled the machine again.  In the mean time, I glued the glass knob to the lid of the machine and let the glue dry.  Once the glue was dry, I painted a small amount of black acrylic paint I had on hand to give the holes in the washer and wing nut some depth. After everything was dry the machine was complete. I placed the lid on top to finish the look.

Step 6: DIY Gumball Machine

Add other decorations if you like and the candy of your choice to make this the gumball machine one that represents you.  For today, I have a Happy Valentine’s Day Gumball Machine that can easily become one for my beloved St. Louis Cardinals, the Fourth of July, Veterans Day, Christmas, or New Years.  I am sure this one will become all of those things.  We will have to wait and see.