Kids can make their own Cute DIY Piggy Bank from a recycled bottle with this simple craft tutorial. These piggy bank ideas are fun, adaptable and help them WANT to save money!
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Cute Craft Alert: A Real DIY Piggy Bank
This DIY Piggy Bank is a real piggy! I got a chuckle when the ears, eyes, nose, and curly tail made it look like a funky, cute pig to hold my coins.
Pull a recycled bottle and a few lids from the recycling bin and help the kids make their own piggy bank. Don't you like using a recycled bottle to make something fun and useful?
Craft Supplies
Here are a few quick notes about the supplies you will need to make DIY Piggy Banks!
- Bottle- A recycled bottle like a vitamin bottle or half gallon vinegar bottle. Laying on its' side the bottle should have a pig shape. Remove the label. I keep extra recycled bottles around for crafts like this one, this Plastic Bottle Airplane, or this Plastic Bottle Fish!
- Lids or TP rolls- For legs use 4 bottle lids or 2 toilet paper roll tubes.
- Spray paint- Spray paint (for use on plastic) to paint the bottle- optional. The spray paint can be any color.
- Paper- Pink scrapbook paper for ears and nose of the piggy bank (or pink copy paper).
- Googly eyes- The pig eyes are made with googly eyes.
- Pipe cleaner- A pink or white pipe cleaner for a tail
- Glue- Tacky glue, hot glue, or E6000 glue.
- Craft knife- An craft knife to cut the bottle.
Steps to Make Your Own Piggy Banks
Cut a coin slot
Draw a rectangle shape lengthwise on the bottle- about ¼ inch wide and 1 ½ inch long. Cut a coin slot in the top of the bottle with an craft knife. Use an up and down movement with the knife to prevent slicing the bank.
Spray painting the bottle (optional step)
If you want the legs of the pig the same paint color add them to the pig now.
Glue 4 bottle caps under the bottle (with the coin slot up).
OR Cut the two TP rolls in half. Slit them and hot glue them so they are smaller in diameter. Push down the edge of one end and use this edge to hot glue the 4 TP tubes under the bottle for 4 legs. Keep the coin slot side of the bottle up.
Take the bottle outside, lay down paper, and spray paint it the color of your choice.
Decorate, face & tail of piggy
Use your scrapbook papers to decorate the pig. You can cut a paper strip to cover the body and glue it around the bottle. Add other decorations to the bank (optional).
Glue the four bottle lids to the bottom of the pig as four legs now if not done earlier when spray painting.
Trace around the lid of the bottle on the pink scrapbook paper. Cut it out and glue it onto the lid as the pig's nose. Draw two black dots on the nose for nostrils.
Make ears for your pig by drawing a 2 ½ inch teardrop shape on the pink paper. Then draw a line to make the rounded end of the teardrop shape flat. Add a ½-inch tab on the flat edge of the line you just drew. Fold the paper so that when you cut it out you will cut two ears at one time.
Cut out the ears around the outside line. Fold over the half inch tabs on the bottom of the ear papers and use the tab to glue them to the bottle. Glue them behind the bottle opening/lid, which will be the nose.
Glue googly eyes between the nose and the ears you just mounted on the piggy bank.
Form the pipe cleaner into a twirl by twisting it around your finger. Make one end into a flat circle for gluing onto the bottle.
Glue the pipe cleaner onto what was the bottom of the bottle. This makes the twirly tail.
You can watch the full length tutorial video on YouTube: DIY Piggy Bank from a Recycled Bottle Tutorial.
Craft Tips
Try these quick tips and tricks for your DIY Coin Bank:
- Label removal- Remove the label with a product such as Goof Off.
- Cutting the slot- Young children will need help cutting the slot in the top of the piggy bank.
- Cover work surface- Cover work surface with paper or an old plastic tablecloth.
- Outdoor temperature- If spray painting, follow the instructions on the can for weather conditions (temperature, wind).
Craft Variations
Want to switch things up? Here are a few DIY piggy bank ideas you can use to customize and play with this craft.
- Change the color- You can spray paint your bank the color of your choice (pink, blue, green, or purple)!
- Make other animals- This bank can be made into other animals. Use your creativity and other found materials to adapt the instructions a bit. Make the bank into a cat, dog, or other animal by making the legs longer or adding a neck and head!
- More bottle ideas- Got more leftover bottles? Make them into plastic bottle bird feeders, or use the plastic to make upcycled bookmarks and other crafts!
FAQ
Use a recycled bottle for the bank. Cut a ¼ inch by 2 inch slit in the side of the bottle. Wrap the center of the bottle with a strip of scrapbook paper. Cut two ears and a nose (the size of the lid) and glue onto the bottle. Glue on googly eyes and then glue on four bottle caps for feet. A twisted pipe cleaner becomes the tail The post has more specific directions and a video!
Choose a recycled bottle that has a lid large enough to get money out. Cut a ¼ inch by 2 inch slit into the bottle. Set the bottle on its side and glue on four bottle lids for legs (with the coin slot on top). Add two ears and a nose (on the lid), googly eyes, and a twisted pipe cleaner tail. Decorate as desired. The post has directions and a video.
More DIY 3D Crafts for Kids
Looking for more great DIY crafts for kids? Here are a few favorites for you to try:
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Cute DIY Piggy Bank from a Recycled Bottle
Equipment
- none needed
Items Required
- 1 Recycled Bottle- A recycled bottle like a vitamin bottle or half gallon vinegar bottle. Laying on its' side the bottle should have a pig shape. Remove the label.
- Bottle Lids or TP rolls For legs use 4 bottle lids or 2 toilet paper roll tubes.
- Spray paint Spray paint (for use on plastic) to paint the bottle- optional. The spray paint can be any color.
- Paper Pink scrapbook paper for ears and nose of the piggy bank (or pink copy paper).
- Googly eyes The pig eyes are made with googly eyes.
- Pipe cleaner A pink or white pipe cleaner for a tail
- Glue Tacky glue, hot glue, or E6000 glue.
- Craft knife A craft knife to cut the bottle.
Instructions
Cut a coin slot
- Draw a rectangle shape lengthwise on the bottle- about ¼ inch wide and 1 ½ inch long. Cut a coin slot in the top of the bottle with an craft knife. Use an up and down movement with the knife to prevent slicing the bank.
Spray painting the bottle (optional step)
- If you want the legs of the pig the same paint color add them to the pig now.Glue 4 bottle caps under the bottle (with the coin slot up). OR Cut the two TP rolls in half. Slit them and hot glue them so they are smaller in diameter. Push down the edge of one end and use this edge to hot glue the 4 TP tubes under the bottle for 4 legs. Keep the coin slot side of the bottle up.Take the bottle outside, lay down paper, and spray paint it the color of your choice.
Decorate, face & tail of piggy
- Use your scrapbook papers to decorate the pig. You can cut a paper strip to cover the body and glue it around the bottle. Add other decorations to the bank (optional).Glue the four bottle lids to the bottom of the pig as four legs now if not done earlier when spray painting.Trace around the lid of the bottle on the pink scrapbook paper. Cut it out and glue it onto the lid as the pig's nose. Draw two black dots on the nose for nostrils.Make ears for your pig by drawing a 2 ½ inch teardrop shape on the pink paper. Then draw a line to make the rounded end of the teardrop shape flat. Add a ½-inch tab on the flat edge of the line you just drew. Fold the paper so that when you cut it out you will cut two ears at one time. Cut out the ears around the outside line. Fold over the half inch tabs on the bottom of the ear papers and use the tab to glue them to the bottle. Glue them behind the bottle opening/lid, which will be the nose.Glue googly eyes between the nose and the ears you just mounted on the piggy bank.Form the pipe cleaner into a twirl by twisting it around your finger. Make one end into a flat circle for gluing onto the bottle.Glue the pipe cleaner onto what was the bottom of the bottle. This makes the twirly tail.
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