Glowing Halloween Candy Chute From 2nd Floor: Transparent Slide and Spins Candy at the End!

It's fun to watch candy and chocolates slide down this illuminated clear tube from a second story window! See the candies follow the light path, then do a little spin at the end before landing in their trick-or-treat bags.

See a 5-second video of the candy chute in action here:

This candy chute is easy to make and inexpensive using transparency film to build a clear tube, a plastic pretzel bin for a 'spin-and-drop' ending, fairy lights to make it glow, caution tape to support and secure it, and duct tape to hold it all together.

Supplies

Pool noodle (or something cylindrical and straight, at least 2-ft long, and with a diameter of about 2"-2.5" as a mold to make the tube.
Transparency film (8.5" x 11" used here. Legal size (8.5" x 14") could be used instead)
Fairy lights (in color of your choice) and batteries
(Optional) Additional strand of fairy lights to decorate the windows next to the candy chute (as shown).
Caution tape (at least 6 feet longer than the chute to secure it)
Duct tape
Scotch tape
Scissors (to cut tape and also cut plastic bin)
Utility knife (to make starter hole in plastic bin)
Pen and marker
Two binder clips or paper clips
(optional) Pretzel bin (or other cylindrical transparent plastic container) for the spin at the end

Step 1: Get Supplies

Review the steps that follow to determine the types and sizes of supplies you need from the supply list.

Step 2: Plan Your Candy Chute Tube Location and Length, and Strands Needed for Fairy Lights

Use the Caution tape to plan your candy chute tube's location and length by temporarily tying it on.

Caution tape will be used to support and secure your candy chute tube.
Get the approximate length you need by extending it from your upstairs window to your front steps railing, plus an extra few feet to secure it at each end.
On each end, tie it on to see how much length you need to fully secure it. Make it easy to untie, since you will be taking it off after you cut and mark the caution tape.
If you have two windows next to each other, you can open both, and tie the Caution tape around the post between the two.
Tie the Caution tape to the railing by going over the top of the railing first, then wrapping around several times, and possibly around several spindles to ensure that the tape will not shift in any direction. Then make a loose knot.
Leave extra length at the end, as the Caution tape may not stretch as far once it's taped on the candy chute tube. Then cut the Caution tape from the roll.

Use a pen to mark the Caution tape to make it a guide for your tube-building.

Mark the railing location.
- Use a pen to mark the Caution tape where it passes over the railing. It may be helpful to draw a line on the tape for each side of the railing and write "railing" in between.
- Note: The candy chute tube will extend a few inches past the railing to enter the pretzel bin.
Mark the ledge location where the Caution tape first touches the house, and the location where it enters the window.
- Use a pen to mark the Caution tape where it passes over the corner of your ledge, and also where it enters the window itself. It may be helpful to draw a line on the tape along the ledge corner and write "ledge," and draw another line and write "window" where the tape first enters the window.
- Note: Your tube will extend to somewhere between the corner of the ledge and your window opening. Approximate how much the tube should extend past your "ledge" marking to make it easy for you to reach from inside the window, without interfering with the window opening/closing.

Untie your Caution tape

Untie the Caution tape. It is ready to use as a guide for building your candy chute tube.

Determine the length and number of strands of Fairy Lights needed

Measure the length of the Caution tape from the "Window" to the "Railing" Marking
Fairly light length should either be
- 1 strand that is double that length, plus an extra ~4-5 feet to have enough to wrap the pretzel bin at the end.
  - Note: A single long strand of fairy lights, tends to more easily get tangled and knotted than using shorter strands.
- Or 2 strands that length, plus an extra ~2-3 feet (each strand) to wrap the pretzel bin.
  - Note: Two shorter strands will require more batteries than one strand, as you will have two separate battery packs instead of one.
- (Optional) Additional strand of fairy lights to light up the windows next to the candy chute (as shown).

Step 3: Build Your Candy Chute Tube

Prepare to build your Candy Chute Tube using the transparencies and duct tape, with Caution tape as a guide

Lay your Caution tape along the floor to use as the guide for your candy chute length.
Place a binder clip or paper clip on the markings for the "ledge" and "railing" to make them easier to find.

Make your first ("Top") tube

Lay your first a transparency on the floor, and place a pool noodle across it the long way.
Wrap the transparency around the pool noodle to make a tube, and overlap the two long edges of the transparency.
Use a piece of duct tape (about 6" long) to secure the two overlapped (long) edges together. Make the tube loose enough to easily slide the pool noodle through.
Write "Top" on the duct tape. This will be the top tube of your candy chute.
Slide the pool noodle so part of the noodle remains in the tube, while about 1.5 feet of the noodle is sticking out the bottom.

Make and connect another tube

Lay a second transparency the floor.
Place the "Top" tube and noodle so the noodle lies across the transparency the long way, and ensure the "Top" tube will sit inside the new transparency tube by about an inch.
Wrap the new transparency around the pool noodle and "Top" tube to make a second tube
Align the overlapped (long) edges of the new transparency so the are in a straight line with (and overlapped in the same direction as) the overlapped edges of the "Top" tube. This will keep the duct tape in a line.
Use a piece of duct tape (about 6" long) to secure the two overlapped edges together of the new tube.
Then use another piece of duct tape (about 8" long) around the circumference of the two tubes to secure them together.

Repeat the process to complete the tube

Repeat the process to make and connect more tubes until your tube is about a foot longer (about 6" longer on each end) than your Caution tape "ledge" and "railing" markings. Err on the side of it being too long, since you can more easily cut or remove tube pieces if it's too long, than to add more tube pieces later if it's too short. If you noted a longer distance for your tube to reach from the 'ledge" to near your window, then increase this as needed.
As you add more new tubes, the previously made (upper) tube should be placed inside the (lower) new tube you are making. This will help the candy can slide down without getting caught on transparency edges.
For stability, always have about 1" of the previously made tube inside the new tube.
On your last tube, write on the duct tape "Bottom"

Step 4: Add Lights Then Attach Your Candy Chute Tube to the Caution Tape Support

Tape on Fairy Lights

Use transparent tape (Scotch tape) to attach two lines of Fairy Lights to the tube (image 1)
Put one wire of lights along each side of the straight pieces of Duct tape. (The duct tape line will be the bottom of the chute, where the candy will slide. Having the lights run along the edges of the duct tape will light up the candy's path).
Note: The battery packs go near the "Top" tube. Leave enough wire length for the battery packs to sit on your house ledge or window sill once the candy chute tube is installed.
Note: Leave any extra length of the Fairy Lights at the "Bottom". The extra length will wrap around the pretzel bin.
Put batteries in the Fairy Lights battery packs and test that the lights turn on

Attach your Candy Chute Tube to the Caution Tape Support

Lay your Caution tape on the floor (print-side-down), and place the candy chute tube on top of it (duct-tape-line side down, so the duct-tape-line is lined up on top of the Caution tape).
The "Top" tube should extend a few inches past the "ledge" marking on the Caution tape, and the "Bottom" tube should extend a few inches past the "railing" marking.
Advanced option: Shift the duct-tape-line slightly off-center from the midline of the Caution tape to more fully enclose one of the lines of Fairy Lights.
This will make the candy more likely to pass directly over one string of lights, making it easier to see the candy's path as it travels down the chute at night.
The Caution tape should more fully cover the line of lights on the side of the chute that will be towards the house. The other line of lights will be more exposed on the side towards the street, making it more visible to approaching trick-or-treaters.
You can see how the Caution tape and Duct tape are slightly off-center from each other in the second picture.
Use pieces of duct tape (about 9" long) to attach the candy chute tube to the Caution tape (image 2).
Tape over the duct tape you already have around the tubes. (Securing only at every-other duct tape joint provides enough support).
Leave the "Top" and "Bottom" tubes unsecured. You can secure them on later if needed.

Re-test that the Fairy Lights still turn on (image 3)

Your Candy Chute is ready for the first part of the install.

Step 5: Install Candy Chute

Install the Candy Chute

Tie the Caution tape to the window and railing with the Candy Chute attached as you did before, but more securely (image 1).
- Align so that your "Top" tube extends past the ledge as much as needed to be easy to reach without interfering with the window function, and the "Bottom" tube extends past the railing by a few inches where it will go into the pretzel bin.
- The extra length of Fairy Lights will be hanging off the bottom end.
Rest the battery pack on the ledge and re-test that the Fairy Lights still turn on (image 2)
Optional: You can also tape additional Fairy Light strands to the window (image 3)

Step 6: Install Pretzel Bin at End for Candy to Spin-and-Drop

Using the marker, indicate the location the candy chute tube will enter the pretzel bin, and the angle of entry.

First line up next to the installed candy chute to draw the angle
We selected an entry point at the top and side of the pretzel bin.
- Having the tube along one side of the pretzel bin seemed to make the candies slide along the curved wall before bouncing off with a spin.

Cut entry hole in the pretzel bin with a sharp utility knife and strong scissors.

(image 1) To get the size and angle right, you can make a separate piece of transparency tube (we used a piece we had messed up earlier).

Attach the pretzel bin at the end of your Candy Chute using duct tape to the railing to hold the bin steady, and to attach the candy chute tube (image 2).

To make the pretzel bin go straight down (instead of being tilted) you may need to add some supports/shims behind it, like a piece of foam or cardboard.

Wrap the extra length of Fairly Lights around the pretzel bin, and secure the lights with scotch tape (image 3)

You can test the lights one more time!

Step 7: Finishing Touches on Light-up Transparent Halloween Candy Chute From 2nd Floor:

Adjust the top of the tube as needed for your candy-drop convenience.

Ensure you can place candy in easily, and that tube does not interfere with window opening/closing. If needed, trim with scissors.

Test that the candy slides down the chute

Test with 1 or 2 candies at a time, and with different types of candies.
If the candies don't spin enough in the pretzel bin, you can try Scotch tape inside to add a slide for the candies to follow.

Add instructions to help your trick-or-treaters