DIY Piggy Bank

I came across this cute craft and is a great project and a way to recycle those 2 litre pop bottles. Easy to make with the children and they will love it.

I thought it was so cute I had to share it.

By: Liz Elliott
Kids will love saving money in an animal-themed bank they made themselves. When they are ready to spend, just pop off the cap!

Tip: Before you begin, clean your empty bottle. Fill it up three-quarters with water and add a few drops of dish soap. Cap the bottle and shake vigorously. Remove the cap and rinse with water. Store upside down until dry.

Piggy Bank

Materials
Empty 2-litre plastic bottle
2 bath tissue tubesPink acrylic paint
2 googly eyes
Pink pipe cleaner
Craft glue
Craft knife
Scissors
Black marker
Pink button (optional)

Instructions

1. Paint the outsides of each bath tissue tube pink. Paint one tube pink on the inside. Set aside to dry
2. Paint the outside of the 2-liter bottle and the cap pink, then set aside to dry*
3. Cut out two pig ears from the tube with the inside painted, and then cut three flaps along each base
4. Cut the remaining tubes into four 3 1/2-centimetre (1 1/2-inch) sections, which will serve as the pig’s legs
5. Using craft glue, attach the legs, ears and eyes to the body. You may need to trim the legs to fit the contour of the bottle correctly. Allow the glue to dry
6. Using the craft knife, cut a coin slot in the top of the pig’s back
7. Cut a small hole in the base of the bottle for the pig’s tail. Coil the pipe cleaner around a pencil or finger, then feed one end through the hole
8. Trim the legs (bath tissue tubes) as needed to help the pig stand flat
9. Put the cap back on the bottle and draw two piggy nostrils on the end, or glue on a pink button

*Tip: When painting the 2-litre bottle, paint one half and set aside to dry. After it dries, paint the other half. This way, you never need to set a wet side down.

Piggy Bank VariationsTurn your piggy bank into a variety of other animals by customizing the instructions for the piggy bank to fit.

• Make a dog by painting the materials brown and opting for droopy ears.

Tip: Have some fun making a dog “collar” from something that’s already in the house, such as a bandana, an oversized rubber band or even a collar that your real-life dog has outgrown.

• Craft a cat by painting materials black and white, making the ears pointy and using the pipe cleaners as whiskers.
• Make a penguin by using the bottom half of two 2-liters — held together by tape or glue — wrapping in black and white craft paper with a yellow beak. Turn the penguin into an owl by swapping out brown paper and paint.
• Turn a 2-liter into a lion by painting the materials yellow and adding a mane of brown and yellow paper strips.

Tip: Let the kids choose their piggy bank pet’s colour. There’s no reason why a cat can’t be blue or a pig can’t be green. Let their imaginations run wild!