Anyone else love vintage gumball and sweet machines? We are lucky enough to have an outbuilding at the end of our garden, (which my husband THINKS is his man-cave 😉 ) Anyway, we’re just adding some quirky things to it as we come across them. So when I saw a vintage sweet machine on Marketplace (where else?!) I just KNEW it had to come home with me. And it also gave me the inspiration for making this Santa Vintage Gumball machine for Christmas. I think it’s turned out so cute and it’s probably my favourite Christmas project so far! In face, I think I might have to make another one that I can have in the kitchen all year round!
what you need for your Santa vintage Gumball machine
- Terracotta pot – mine was 15 cm diameter at its’ widest point, and approx 14 cm high. I got it at our local garden centre for a mere 99 pence.
- Matching terracotta saucer – again check out your local Garden Centre.
- A glass bowl – mine was 16 cm high.
- Acrylic paint – Engine red and white, but you can go for any red colour you’ve got to hand.
- Some silver sticky glitter gems – I bought a sheet from Poundland, but Amazon do similar ones here.
- E6000 glue
- White feather boa trim. Or another white trim if you prefer.
- A white handle (or a pine knob one that you paint)
Start with removing any sticky labels and removing the residue with some hot water and soap. Leave the pot to dry fully.
Next I outlined the bit where Santa’s coat is going to have the white stripe. Just with a pencil and a ruler. I allowed for roughly 2 inches at the bottom, tapering to about 1 1/2 inches at the top but go with what feels right for you.
Paint the pot red with some acrylic paint. Avoid the strip area and the bottom ring, which are going to be white.
You should now have something like this: (I placed one pot on top of the other to avoid getting paint on my table 😉 )
When it’s fully dried, grab your brush and with black acrylic paint, create a banner all the way around the pot. You want this to sit just slightly lower than half way (see pictures)
check out the rest of the process on Facebook
I didn’t take photos of the rest of the process as I made it on a Facebook Live, which you can catch here. (And while you’re there, if you want to give my page a like or a follow, that would be great!)
I used some sticky gems to create the buckle on the belt. They were only £1 for a large sheet in Poundland and they were just perfect for the job. You can see a close up here.
Next you need a glass bowl. E-bay sell the exact one here if you want it for convenience. However, I recommend having a look in places like The Range, Wilkinson’s, BNM or TK Maxx where they will be cheaper. I paid £4.99 for my one.
Glue the bowl on top of the pot with some E6000 to make sure it is really secure. On the Live I added some hot glue to allow it to set immediately, but make sure you add some E6000 or another good craft glue! You don’t want this baby falling apart! Allow this to dry for the recommended time.
Now, I share the good, the bad and the ugly with you guys, so .. spoiler alert .. After mine had dried I noticed the bowl wasn’t on quite straight. Eeek – this thing is glued on TIGHT .. so just make sure you take your time to get it on straight before the glue sets. I’ll stick with my very slightly wonky one, but will probably make another one at some stage. Or I’ll wait for Spring and make an Easter one instead.
Next hot glue a piece of white feather boa or other trim around the top of the pot.
Finally, paint a terracotta saucer in the same colour red. Add a white drawer knob. Or take one off a pine chest of drawers and paint it, like I did! Glue this to the top of the saucer with some E6000 to make sure it’s securely fitted on there! It’s probably perfectly secure, but personally I wouldn’t lift the lid by the knob. Just to be sure.
the results are in!
And you’re all done!!
I LOVE how Santa Vintage Gumball Machine looks in our kitchen. I wanted to fill it with sweets but couldn’t find any red and white ones. So I filled it with some silver baubles until I find the right ones. Probably best as sweets don’t tend to last long in our house anyway!
And of course you can fill it with Epsom salts and add some little houses to make your own little winter wonderland if you don’t want to use it for sweets. Or add some lights!
How CUTE??!!
Let me know if you’ll attempt one? I’d love to see your creations so don’t forget to find and tag me on social media?
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