HOW TO BUILD A SPOOKY DIY SWEET DISPENSER

HOW TO BUILD A SPOOKY DIY SWEET DISPENSER

Halloween is about fun, spookiness, and lots of sweets! The blog Thrift Driving loves to upcycle and this blog post has come from them. This blog is about turning an old fish bowl from the charity shop/flea market into a spooky DIY sweet dispenser made with a wooden base! This sweet dispenser can be used with almost any small candies, such a gumballs, jelly beans, etc.

Tools used

18V ONE+™ Cordless Brushless Jigsaw
18V ONE+™ Cordless Drill Driver Starter Kit

Materials used

1x glass fish bowl (from a charity shop, flea market or you might have one lying around the house!)

STEP 1

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I love upcycling things from the flea market/charity shop! When I saw this thrifted fish bowl I knew it was perfect for a DIY sweet dispenser for Halloween since the shape reminded me of a pumpkin!

STEP 2

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I created a square starting at one corner of a large piece of birch plywood, and with 3.8cm from each side, I traced the shape of the fish bowl.

STEP 3

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Using my drill driver, I drilled a pilot hole, then used my jigsaw to cut out the circle.

STEP 4

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Once the circle is cut out, keep the circle nearby! You'll need it! This piece will be glued onto the fish bowl.

STEP 5

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Using a hole saw, drill a hole in the circle you just cut out.

STEP 6

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Once the hole is cut, use super glue to secure the circle onto the bottom of the fish bowl.

STEP 7

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Using the router, we created 6.5mm routed pieces which will be attached to the wooden circle on the bottom of the fish bowl.

STEP 8

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When the routed pieces are trimmed and added to the bottom of the fish bowl with glue and nails, it creates a place for the pull to slide in and out to allow for sweets to fall out.

STEP 9

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Cut wood to create the rest of the base. You'll need 4 sides upon which to sit the top that you'd already cut. There won't be a bottom piece. Leaving the bottom open will allow you to add sweets.

STEP 10

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Use a cup or something else with a rounded edge to create the opening in the front of the sweet dispenser, then cut with a jigsaw.

STEP 11

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Cut a long piece of 6.5mm birch plywood, about 17.8cm (or whatever length you want) which will be the lever that will slide in and out to release the sweets. Then, about 5.1cm from the top of the front, trace the edge and cut with a jigsaw (Top Tip: use the drill driver for a pilot hole first).

STEP 12

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The lever will have a hole (using the hole saw) that, when pulled, will align the holes and allow the sweets to come out of the upcycled fish bowl. In order to create stopping points (so the lever doesn't come all the way out or be pushed all the way in by accident), however, you have to drill holes with a bit and insert a wooden dowel into the holes.

STEP 13

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Once you've created the holes and lever, add sweets and test it out to be sure it works! Make any adjustments necessary.

STEP 14

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The inside of the sweet dispenser will be constructed with wood that, when the sweets are released, will slide down towards the opening. Add wooden sides so that the sweets can't go anywhere but out the opening. Super glue and wood glue worked well holding it together.

STEP 15

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Choose whatever paint and decorations for your sweet dispenser! I chose a chalky black paint with white detailing, with red. This is what the inside looks like when looking at it from above. Notice how the wood slants towards the opening so that the sweets only have one place to go when released.

STEP 16

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The blogger Thrift Driving used & cut some vinyl. Following this, added a spooky face to the fish bowl with vinyl as well. You can also use paint or a marker pen to draw.

STEP 17

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Now you've got an amazing DIY sweet dispenser! The vinyl can be easily peeled off, so after Halloween, you can remove the vinyl and add other sweets.

STEP 18

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Just have fun with it! Test it out and make sure it works, and then let your family enjoy pulling the lever for treats this Halloween season!

Blog post courtesy of: Thriftdriving

Don't forget to tag us in your DIY projects on @ryobitoolsuk