Candy Dispenser Project

My inspiration for this weekend’s project came to me on Friday while I was at work.  Like most “good” offices, mine has an area that everyone goes to for a “treat” (usually something sweet) throughout the day.  However I noticed our “treat manager” (Janelle) would often put the treats away at end of day likely out of fear that the treats could attract rodents and bugs after hours.  So I decided this weekend’s project with my daughters would be to make candy dispensers.

I have made many different variations of candy dispensers since I began woodworking as a hobby.  The version below is probably my second favorite version.  My favorite version requires 4” x 4” lumber for the body of the dispenser, which I did not have.  So I decided to make a version that used 1 ½” x 3” lumber.  The reason I like the 4” x 4” version a little better is because it includes a slide with a hole through it and a spout which places the candy directly into your hand.  But since I had no 4” x 4” lumber and didn’t feel like gluing wood together the night before, I decided to make the version that uses 1 ½” x 3” lumber.

For the 1 ½” x 3” body of the candy dispenser I took some scrap 2” x 4” (1 ½” x 3 ½” planed) lumber I had laying around and ripped them down to the proper 3” width.  I then cut the length to 3”.  This left me with 1 ½” x 3” x 3” pieces for the body of the candy dispenser.  Next I made multiple passes, adjusting my table saw fence along the way to cut the 1 ¼” groove into the center of the body of the candy dispenser.  A dado blade on a table saw or a groove router bit on a router could be used to cut the groove as well, however I didn’t feel like taking the time to setup either one.

After the body of the candy dispenser was complete, I cut used some ¾” thick lumber to cut the ¾” x  4” x 4” top and bottom of the candy dispenser.  I then drilled a 1 ½” hole in the center of the top 4” x 4” piece using a spade bit.  Next I took some 1” thick lumber and made the 1” x 1 ¼” x 8” slide.  After I had the slide cut, I again made multiple passes on my table saw, adjusting the fence along the way to make the 1 ¼” groove.
Once I had all the parts cut, I used my router to make a nice edge on the 4” x 4” top and bottom.  I then sanded the parts before assembling everything.  I recruited my oldest daughter to help spread the glue to glue it all together.  I also used my finishing nailer to lightly nail the pieces together to prevent movement while the glue dried.

We then went inside the house to finish the project by screwing the lids of canning jars to the top of the candy dispenser.  A special thanks to Kelly at Rosewood Markets for supplying me with some canning jars.  Once the lids were attached, I filled the jar with candy and screwed it onto the dispenser.  This dispenser works well to dispense candy such as M&M’s (Regular and/or Peanut), Reese’s Pieces, jelly beans, gum balls, runts, and Sweetheart candies, etc.  I’m still not sure if it is the dispenser or the candy that my daughters thoroughly enjoyed.

Photo Update:  Below is a picture of the candy dispenser I did for my place of work (Penn State Hershey Medical Center).