Making your own DIY ornaments is not only fun for adults, but also children. One unique and creative ornament you can make is a gumball machine.
I love to make crafts with my kids around the holidays. We like to use conventional Christmas materials to make unconventional Christmas crafts. One that we made recently was a gumball machine ornament. It quick and easy to make, which is why it can be perfect for a child’s school party!
I created this one using candied sprinkles. You can fill yours with nonpareils and it will look even more like mini gumballs. I just used what was on hand because it was one less thing I had to make!
A fun way to spend a Saturday in December is to make all sorts of ornaments including this one, an old-fashioned candy ornament or a scrap ribbon tree ornament. You might have some of these items at home, but if you don’t you can find them at your local Dollar Store (making it very affordable)
Gumball Machine Ornament Craft Tutorial
Supplies
Small Clear Ornament
Small Clay Flower Pot
Rainbow Sprinkles
Red Acryclic Paint
Paintbrush
Hot Glue Gun
Pain your mini flower pot red. While one coat should be enough, you may want to add a second to make the red really pop.
Next, take the hook and cover from the top of your ornament. Paint the cap red. While that is drying, fill the ornament with your sprinkles. Attach the cap onto the ornament, adhering it with hot glue (so it does not come back off again.
Use hot glue to glue the bottom of the ornament to the bottom of your red flower pot. Allow the glue to dry for about ten minutes before you attempt to hang on your tree. If your tree isn’t strong enough to support this sturdy little ornament, it makes a great little decoration to pair with your other Christmas decor too!
That’s it! Add a hook and you can hang it on your tree. We love this craft for kids’ school parties. But, in order to save time, we painted the flower pots and caps red before we attended the party. Then, the kids were able to choose the type of sprinkles they wanted in their machine. They had to help glue the cap and flower pot to the ornament. They loved just filling the globes with their favorite sprinkles.
BONUS TIP: If you want to ensure it is really lightweight, you can also use K-cups rather than flower pots. Just spray them red and then use a black marker to add the “hole” at the bottom where the gumball would come out. Simple and easy!!
