Recent Comments

Make a Homemade Candy Dispenser

SAFETY FIRST: Ask an adult to help with tools you haven't used before.

You can make this dispenser for jelly beans, gumballs or any other hard candy that will fit in it.

jellybean

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  • 2″ x 6″ board, 24″ long (The actual size of a 2″ x 6″ board is 1 1/2″ x 5 1/2″.)

Cut the board as follows:

  • 2 1 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ boards (top and base)
  • 2 1 1/2″ x 1 3/4″ x 5 1/2″ boards (sides)
  • 1″ x 1 7/8″ x 11″ board (slide)
  • Tape measure
  • Pencil
  • Pocketknife
  • Sandpaper
  • Wood glue
  • 1 dowel or peg about 1/4″ in diameter, 4″ long
  • 1 dowel or peg about 1/4″ in diameter, 2″ long
  • A clean quart or pint canning jar with its metal ring
  • Crosscut saw for sawing across the grain
  • Ripsaw for sawing with the grain
  • Drill
  • Drill bit, sized for pre-drilling 2 1/2″ holes
  • 7/8″ spade bit
  • Countersink bit (so driven screws are flush)
  • Screwdriver
  • 12 wood screws, 2 1/2″ long
  • 4 flat-head brads for nailing jar ring to top of dispenser
  • Small drill bit for pre-drilling brad holes in jar ring
  • Jelly beans or gumballs

WHAT YOU’LL DO

candy-11. Cut all the boards to size and sand smooth.

 

candy-22. Glue and screw the base onto the sides.

 

candy-33. Pencil an X from corner to corner on the top board.

 

candy-44. Drill a 7/8″ hole through the center of the top board.

 

candy-55. Glue and screw the top board onto the sides and base. Sand the slide until it moves smoothly in the square hole in the center of the dispenser.

 

candy-66. Drill a hole 3/4″ from the front of the slide. This is for the 4″ peg or dowel. Drill a hole 1/2″ from the back of the slide. This is for the 2″ peg or dowel. Glue the 4″ peg or dowel in the front hole on the slide.

 

candy-77. Push the slide into place until it stops at the 4″ peg. Draw a circle through the 7/8″ hole on the top board onto the slide.

 

candy-88. Drill a 7/8″ hole 3/8″ deep into the slide as shown.

 

candy-99. Bevel the 7/8″ slide hole with the pocketknife and sand smooth.

 

candy-1010. Drill and nail the jar ring onto the top board.

 

candy-1111. Push the slide into place. When the slide is pushed in all the way, the hole in the top and the hole in the slide should line up. Glue the 2″ peg or dowel onto the back of the slide.

 

candy-1212. Fill the jar with candy, screw it onto the ring and your dispenser is complete.


PHOTOS OF COMPLETED PROJECT

Check out these photos of the completed project sent to us by Boys’ Life readers. If you have a photos of a BL Workshop project, please use the form below to send them to us.


Submit a Photo of Your Project

Important Note: Please only upload photos of your project. Because of privacy rules, we can't post any photos that show people's faces. Always ask for your parent's permission before uploading anything to a website.

59 Comments on Make a Homemade Candy Dispenser

  1. I want to tryyyyyyyyy<3

  2. Shark Master // August 11, 2016 at 1:13 pm // Reply

    I would like to try. but I HAVE NO CANDY!!!!!

  3. Laugh out loud man // May 21, 2016 at 8:31 am // Reply

    Need to get my dad to make one

  4. pack 208. // May 9, 2016 at 2:40 pm // Reply

    how much is it.

  5. Can’t wait to get it started!!!

  6. Does it work with chocolate chips?????

  7. Burrito Warnick // February 20, 2016 at 11:34 pm // Reply

    I can not even believe it.

  8. CandyDispenser // February 20, 2016 at 12:46 pm // Reply

    Looks really hard… :/

  9. probably if you had thick cardboard

  10. Is it possible to do this with cardboard and plastic jars? We have 37 boys in our troop, mainly Tigers and young Wolves.

  11. Got to put this on my go do LISt right now>>>>>>> COOL!

  12. I Love it

  13. This would work great with healthy treats like trail mix and nuts also!

  14. This would be even better if there was an option to print the material list and directions.

  15. I am dying to make one! 🙂

  16. How do you prevent the candy from getting stuck/jammed between the slide and the top piece, inside the center hole?

  17. the project looks hard but Ill try it and hopefully not mess up

  18. Can you use use a half gallon sized jar

  19. This looks awesome but could you use Mike and Ike’s?

  20. now I want to make it with my dad!!

  21. Awesome!

  22. A person named bob // July 28, 2014 at 3:10 pm // Reply

    amazing

  23. now I want to tell my dad to make it!

  24. hi im gouing to make this

  25. awesome man // July 14, 2014 at 6:47 pm // Reply

    IT LOOKS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  26. awesome =D

  27. crafter101 // June 30, 2014 at 3:36 pm // Reply

    If any of you guys don’t have the things to make it from,use boxes to make it

  28. The muffin man // May 20, 2014 at 3:35 pm // Reply

    I am making it.

  29. great me n my brother have 1

  30. I love it

  31. This is so simple. I am 12 yrs old and i done all of it by myself, expect for the sawing and cutting

  32. I wonder if this gets stuck but it looks cool

  33. SWEET!!!!=)

  34. I hate it!

  35. I like this candy dispenser:)

  36. This is a really awesome idea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  37. Anonymous #2 // October 30, 2013 at 10:15 pm // Reply

    This is so awesome, i want to do it so bad for my room! #HalloweenCandy!

  38. neat

  39. that looks cool to make I wonder if it gets jammed

  40. Awesome totally gonna ask my grandpa if we can make one!

  41. JumperPlaysMC // October 21, 2013 at 6:09 am // Reply

    Epic wish I had the time and supplies to make it ):

  42. I want to make this so bad!!!!!!!!!!!

  43. COOL

  44. I WISH I HAD ALL THE STUFF AWWW HAVE NONE 🙁

  45. it is good

  46. this candy dispenser looks so cool.

  47. I think the slide should be 1-1/2 by 1-7/8 by 9-1/2 inches long

    • Maybe 1-1/4 by 1-7/8 by 9 1/2 inches long would work too? Has anyone tried using a different size slide?

    • Did anyone find out if 9 1/2 was the correct measurement for the slide length? Seems like that should be the case with the dimensions of the board they said to buy.

  48. I made one of these and we already went through 3 bags of candy!

  49. Can you print this….& make with the boys….a good Saturday project:) They would LOVE LOVE LOVE IT:)

Leave a Reply to Zac Cancel reply

Please don't use your real name.