Have a kiddo with a sweet tooth? Check out this creative gift idea and learn how to spray paint a gumball machine. This post has been sponsored by Krylon.

Every holiday season I try to look for one handmade gift to give to Reese because I don’t think Christmas should be all about buying gifts. I like to set aside some time and throw myself into a good DIY project that allows me to get creative. This year Reese and I were browsing Highland Yard Vintage, a local antique shop and she ran across this vintage gumball machine that she fell in love with. I’ve always loved gumball machines so I thought this would be an awesome gift idea and a fun project to DIY.

Step-By-Step Guide On How To Spray Paint A Gumball Machine

If you have someone on your holiday shopping list who loves candy or all things vintage, pull up a chair while I walk you step-by-step through How To Spray Paint A Gumball Machine. This is a fun and easy DIY project you can tackle over a weekend.

Step One – Select A Quality Spray Paint Designed For Metal Items

I didn’t have a ton of spray painting experience when I took on this project but I knew enough about spray paint from high school art classes to know that Krylon was a quality brand and my best choice for this project. Krylon is known as an industry leader in product innovation, package design, project inspiration, and color.

Krylon products expand beyond the home with multi-purpose, plastic, specialty, rust preventative, brush-on, and craft products. You can find Krylon products at many of your favorite retailers such as Lowes, ACE, Walmart, Hobby Lobby, and even Michaels Crafts.

Step Two – Select The Right Spray Paint For Your Project

For this project, you can go with whatever color your heart desires and thankfully, Krylon has a lot of colors to choose from. Regardless of the color you select, you’ll need to pick up the following basic items to start:

• Krylon COLORmaxx Primer 
  • Increases paint adhesion and smooths uneven surfaces
  • Ensures true paint color is achieved
  • Big button spray tip with spray any way capabilities

Since I started with a black gumball machine and I knew I wanted my final color to be white, I used Krylon COLORmaxx Primer in white. I loved that It is fast drying to the touch and only an hour to dry to handle. This meant I could move quickly between coats. I was able to completely cover my black gumball machine with only two coats of Krylon COLORmaxx Primer.

• Krylon COLORmaxx – Krylon COLORmaxx spray paint provides brilliant, on-trend colors in a variety of sheens. This product has a smooth application with added rust protection.
  • Premium coverage and superior color with excellent adhesion and durability
  • Indoor/outdoor use with rust protection
  • Big button spray tip with spray any way capabilities
  • Fast drying

I have a slight addiction to all things white! Oh, who am I kidding, my entire house is white and I wanted to make sure Reese’s new gumball machine matched our other decor so I selected a gloss white. I wanted something that would be a bright white but I also needed something that could be wiped down over and over again to get rid of those sticky candy fingerprints.

Step Three – Select A Fun Finish To Make Your Project Unique.

• Krylon® Glitter Blast™ Glitter Spray – With 16 amazing color choices and more sparkle, glitter, and coverage than you’ll find anywhere else, Glitter Blast™ adds color depth and a 3-D appearance to your glitter spray projects.
  • Applies easily, no messy glue or brushes
  • Instantly creates an intense, sparkling glitter finish
  • Acid-free spray adheres well to most surfaces, even plastic, and craft foam
  • Perfect for home accents, holiday decor, crafts… and much more

Reese is the QUEEN of glitter so when I found out Krylon offered spray paint with a glitter finish I was sold so I decided to finish our gumball machine with Krylon® Glitter Blast™ Glitter Spray in Diamond Dust. I loved how this finish was not too overpowering. It gives off a nice shimmer in natural light but really comes to life when the sun shines through her windows. It was just the amount of sparkle I was looking for.

Once our Glitter Blast coat was dry it was time to seal in the shimmer with  Krylon® Glitter Blast™ Clear Sealer 

• Glitter Blast™ Clear Sealer – Keep your glitter going strong with Glitter Blast Clear Sealer – a fast-drying coat that increases durability.
  • Prevents glitter from flaking
  • Maintains sparkle and color without fading

Step Four – Gather Your Supplies

Once you have your gumball machine and have selected your primer, spray paint color, and finish, it’s time to gather a few supplies that will help you complete your project. Here is a list of a few things you’ll want to have on hand.

• Warm Water and Damp Lint Free Cloth – Before you start painting make sure your gumball machine has been cleaned and is free from dirt and leftover candy. A quick wipe down with a lint-free cloth should do the job.
• Sandpaper – To prep your gumball machine for spray painting you’ll need to rough up the original paint with a little sandpaper. I selected a super fine 400 grit sandpaper. I selected 400 grit because it works great for roughing up the original paint as well as sanding between coats. With sandpaper remember the higher the number the more abrasive it is. You don’t want to completely remove the original paint so select sandpaper no higher than 400 grit. Something between 400-600 is perfect.
• Painters Tape – To protect parts of your gumball machine you don’t want to be spray painted, use a quality painter’s tape that can be easily removed once your project is completed without damaging your new paint job.
• Screwdrivers – For the best results you will want to completely disassemble your gumball machine before painting.
• Drop Cloth or Old Cardboard Boxes – To protect the surface you are working on (in my case my driveway) make sure you lay something down to protect your area. A large drop cloth big enough to cover your work area plus an overspray area works great. If you don’t have a drop cloth on hand old don’t feel like you have to run out and buy one. Old cardboard boxes cut open and laid flat work perfectly as well.

Step Five – Safety First

The nurse in me always likes to talk about safety when doing DIY projects. When working with spray paint or any chemical for that matter it’s important that you work in a space that has plenty of airflow. This could be your driveway or even your backyard. Spray painting indoors or in a closed garage is never a good idea. It’s dangerous and can make you sick plus paint fumes tend to stick around for a long time so you want to give your space-time to air out. We all have a bunch of masks laying around these days so if you happen to have an extra N95 mask lying around, now is the perfect time to use it.

I should also mention since this is a gumball machine and will likely be used for candy, you want to be sure to not spray paint any areas that have direct contact with food items. If you plan on spray painting your entire gumball machine make sure you put candy in clear gumball containers so your candy does not come in contact with toxic material.

Step Six – Clean, Disassemble, and Tape Off Your Gumball Machine

To make sure your finish is as smooth as possible you want to take the time to disassemble your gumball machine so you can access all areas with spray paint. I used this time to also wipe down my gumball machine with a damp cloth to remove old candy, fingerprints, and dirt.

Make sure all surfaces are completely dry. I let the newly cleaned pieces lay in the sun while I worked on taping off parts of my gumball I didn’t want spray painted.

Step Seven – Sand The Surface of Your Gumball Machine

To prep your gumball machine to take your primer you’ll need to rough up the original paint with a little sandpaper. I used a super fine 400 grit sandpaper. I selected 400 grit because it works great for roughing up the original paint as well as sanding between coats but it won’t damage the metal as coarse sandpaper would.

With sandpaper remember the higher the number the more abrasive it is. You don’t want to completely remove the original paint so select sandpaper no higher than 400 grit. Something between 400-600 is perfect.

Step Eight – Apply Your Krylon COLORmaxx Primer

Once you have disassembled your gumball machine, wiped it down with a damp cloth, allowed it to dry, and tape off any areas you don’t want to be painted, it’s time to prime. When working with primer and spray paint, the goal is maximum coverage with no runs.

To achieve this work slow, hold the can so that it sprays downward at about a 45-degree angle away from you when you. I started on the far side of the surface and worked my way back toward myself. For best coverage, I applied two coats and allowed about 10-20 minutes of drying time between each coat.

Step Nine – Apply Your Krylon COLORmaxx Spray Paint In Selected Color

Once you have applied your Krylon COLORmaxx Primer and allowed your coats to dry it’s time to move on to applying your Krylon COLORmaxx Spray Paint in your selected color. For best results:

1. 1. Shake your Krylon spray can vigorously for two minutes after the ball within the can begins to rattle
   2. Test your spray paint and painting technique on a piece of scrap material until you have achieved a satisfactory result
   3. Hold your Krylon spray can 6 to 8 inches away from your gumball machines surface
   4. Spray your gumball using several thin coats of spray paint instead of one thick coat (this will prevent runs)
   5. Begin and finish your spray pattern off your gumball machine, being sure to release the tip at the end of each pass
   6. Use an even side-to-side motion
   7. Overlap your spray pattern by about one-third with each pass

   Step Ten – Apply Your Krylon® Glitter Blast™ Glitter Spray and Glitter Blast™ Clear Sealer

   I allowed my gumball machine to dry overnight before applying the Krylon® Glitter Blast™ Glitter Spray and Glitter Blast™ Clear Sealer.  I decided to pick up my project the next morning because I started to lose sunlight but you can move right on to applying your Glitter Blast and clear sealer if daylight permits. Use the same steps I used above if you want an even coat and no runs.

   Step Eleven – Reassemble Your Gumball Machine

   Allow your gumball machine to dry for 24 hours before you reassemble. This will give the spray paint time to fully dry and you won’t have to worry about leaving behind fingerprints or worse, damaging the paint. 

   You can fill your gumball machine with pretty much anything. Your child’s favorite candy, pieces of paper tucked inside holders that have ideas for fun things to do, or even wax melts as we plan on doing.

   

Another great idea is to use their new gumball machine as a reward system. Whenever they complete a task (making their beds, brushing their teeth without having to be told, etc) hand them a quarter and allow them to get a treat. At the end of the month, they can cash out and use the money they earned to stock up on more treats or buy something from the store. 

Either way, this is an amazing and thoughtful gift your kids will fall in love with.