'Gumball Machine' Candy Dish

I made many of my gifts for Christmas this year. Some of the recipients actually find time to read the nonsense I write on my blog. So now that Christmas is over I can finally get those posted on here.

So this post will deal with something that is very popular on Pinterest, in which I get many of my ideas from. I actually received one of these as a birthday gift last year from a friend. So I used that as my inspiration.

'Gumball Machine' Candy Dish

As per usual, I got so involved in the project that I forgot to take pictures. Sorry. I'll try to make up for that with detailed instructions...but it really is just painting and glueing, for the most part.

The most difficult part of this project was finding the glass bowl, flower pot and base that fit together properly. Once you've got that, you're golden.

You'll need:
clay flower pot
2 flower pot  bases, different sizes
glass bowl
wooden decorative knob
paint and paintbrush
epoxy glue
clear sealant spray
ribbon (optional)
silicone (optional)


As I said earlier, the hardest part is getting the pieces that are the proper sizes to fit and enable you to achieve the look you're going for. It's easier to do this in a store that sells all these items (craft supply stores, dollar stores, etc.) so you can try them together before you buy.
Paint the flower pot, both bases and the knob. I ended up doing three coats of paint. Next, add a coat or two of clear sealant spray to all of these pieces.

Now you can start assembling. Using your epoxy glue, follow the directions on the package carefully. Apply it on the bottom of the flower pot and lay the glass bowl on top of that. If the bowl doesn't seem to be touching the pot, you can just add more glue until it does. Just make sure to keep the glue spread evenly across the surface. Now apply some pressure for a few seconds to ensure the pot and the bowl bond together.

Using the same glue, attach the knob to the center of the smallest flower pot base. Attach that base onto the center of the larger base. The only problem I ran into with this project was getting the lid (the bases you just glued together) to stop slipping over the glass. So I applied a layer of clear silicone inside the lid. When it dries it is very non slip and has a sort of cushioning effect. This is just regular silicone that you would use around the bathroom or kitchen. Be sure to get the clear and not the white though...unless of course you want to see the silicone. :P

Next, I added a ribbon. But you could do whatever you like with it now. I originally wanted to etch the glass but decided on the ribbon instead.

And that's it, you're done. ;)