How to Make a Gumball Machine Pumpkin

Halloween decor doesn't always have to be dark and scary. To lighten the mood, transform a pumpkin into a vintage gumball machine to add a pop of color to your front porch.

Remove Stem From Pumpkin

First, cut the stem off of the faux pumpkin with a knife. Cut enough of the stem off so that the saucer will be able to rest on top of the pumpkin without wobbling. Don't throw away the part of the stem you removed.

Glue Saucer to Pumpkin

Using your glue gun, add a bead of glue around the rim of the saucer of the planter. Place the saucer on top of the pumpkin where the stem used to be, and press down for a few seconds until it feels secure. Next, add glue to the bottom of the removed stem and secure it to the top of the saucer so it looks like it grew from the pumpkin and right through the lid.

Glue Planter to Pumpkin

Turn the planter upside down and add a line of glue to the bottom. Place the pumpkin on top, and press down for a few seconds until it feels secure.

Glue Gumballs to Pumpkin

With the lid and base of the gumball machine on, you can see how much area of the pumpkin you'll need to cover with gumballs. Add a dot of glue to a gumball and start at the top. Continue this process around the pumpkin in straight lines, being careful not to burn your fingers with the hot glue. The step may take a while.

Add Coin Slot and Opening

Tear off a sheet of aluminum foil and use a black marker to trace a circle on the sheet. Write 25¢ in the center, then cut the circle out. Next, draw an archway to serve as the gumball retriever opening and cut out. Using hot glue, add a few dots to the back of the coin slot and archway, and secure them to the base of the gumball machine.

Display

Display on your front porch or anywhere needing a pop of playful Halloween color. As much as you may want to, do not eat the gumballs or allow others to. The glue used is not edible and shouldn't be consumed.