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How to Make a Piggy Bank

with Lea Elleseff

Don't toss that bleach bottle! With some paint and a little creativity, you and your child can make an adorable piggy bank that will dazzle the change right out of your pocket.

Transcript: How to Make a Piggy Bank

Hi, my name is Lea Elleseff, and you are watching About.com. Today we are going to construct a piggy bank out of recycled materials and various craft supplies.

Supplies Needed to Make a Piggy Bank

Here is what we will need:
  • an empty bleach bottle
  • used spools of thread
  • cardboard
  • pipe cleaner
  • googly eyes
  • glue
  • tape
  • scissors
  • box cutter
  • paints
  • fabric
  • textured paper

Create the Coin Slot and Piggy Bank Ears

I am going to begin by cutting out a slot for coin droppage. To do this, I am going to use a box cutter and carefully cut out a rectangle on the top of my bottle.

Now for the ears, I am going to cut out two cardboard triangles, folding the top part to create flop. To attach them to the bottle, I am going to use tape.

Decorate the Piggy Bank Body

Now comes the most creative part - decorating the body. For this, I am using a combination of painting, gluing on square pieces of fabric in a pattern, and I am also jazzing up the ears with textured paper.

There are plenty of other ways to decorate, but if you are ever stuck for ideas, just do what I did and look around the house. Whoa, this is going to be one funky pig.

Attach the Feet and Tail of the Piggy Bank

Once everything has dried, I am going to place the bottle upright, glue on the four spools, let them dry in the same position, and then stand my piggy up.

Finally, I'm going to drill a hole into my piggy's backside, twirl a pipe cleaner around my fingers, and stick it in.

Truly there is no piggy bank in the world exactly like it. In fact, she's so darling that I think she deserves a deposit. That was all the change in my wallet.

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