How to Make a Mini Gumball Machine

Thanks for the Gumball!
Materials List

candy or gumballs

x-acto knife and scissors

 

paper plate

duct tape end of the roll

glue gun

cardboard or foamcore

marker

How to
Step 1

We begin by making the base.  Use your end of the roll to trace a circle onto your cardboard or foamcore.  Cut out the circle using your x-acto knife.  Glue your foamcore circle onto the top of your end of the roll creating a small box or bowl.

Step 2

Cover the bowl with duct tape.  It is best to do this with thin strips of tape.  Large pieces tend to bunch up.  Lay two pieces of tape in an X.  Then create another X opposite of that.  Then fill in the white spaces with additional strips.

Step 3

Cover the outside edge of the roll with a single piece of duct tape.  You base should now be completely covered.

Step 4

Remove the top from your ornament.  Use a marker to color the top edge of your ornament.  Then press that colored edge onto the bottom of your paper cup.  You may need to make this circle darker with your marker.

Step 5

Cut slits in this circle from the outside in.  Insert your plastic ornament into the hole you just created.

Step 6

The tongue depressor will serve to stop the candy from coming out.  Measure the end of your tongue depressor against the side of the cup.  Make a mark and cut a slit in the cup approximately an inch below the ornament.

Step 7

Push the tongue depressor through the cup until the end hits the inside edge of the cup.  Make a mark on your tongue depressor at the edge of the cup.

Step 8

Pull the tongue depressor out of the cup and cut it at the line.  It is easiest to score it a few times with your X-acto knife and then gentle break it at the score lines.

Step 9

Cut a small door in the bottom of the cup for the candy to escape.  You can do this with an x-acto or scissors.

Step 10

The last piece is a small chute to direct the candy out of the dispenser.  Cut a 2 oz Dixie cup in half lengthwise.

Step 11

Glue the Dixie cup inside the larger cup.  Glue the end of the Dixie cup against the inside edge of the cup.  Glue the sides down so it creates a ramp directing the candy towards the small hole at the bottom of the cup.

Step 12

Fill your ornament with candy.

Step 13

Place your filled ornament back on the cup.  Finally glue the cup to the base you made earlier.

Stats
Craft Length
30 - 60 minutes
Difficulty
Attention, please! (a few rules to follow)
Prep Time
10 - 20 minutes
Recycled
Paper
Plastic
Supervision
1 adult per 5 children