How to Make a Piggy Bank

Before 'piggy banks' first came into use, people would make use of such clay pots to keep their money in the house. These were called 'pygg jars'.

Later however, more durable materials came to replace pygg, so that utensils were no longer made of pygg. But everyone still called the new money jars as 'pygg jars' The word 'pygg' is pronounced the same way you say 'pig'. That is how the concept of a 'piggy bank' came into being!

Piggy banks have since undergone many changes. Some of the latest piggy banks even have electronic systems installed in them, so that they can count the money deposited! To make your own piggy bank at home, however, is a very joyful experience, something that everyone should try! Here are some piggy bank ideas that you can try at home.

The best way to make a piggy bank at home is to use old jam bottles. Jam bottles most often go un-used (unless of course your mom claims them and uses them in the kitchen!) But there are always going to be a few bottles left even after mom has used as many as she wants to in the kitchen. So what do you do? Use them to make a piggy bank! How? Here's how -

• First and foremost, thoroughly wash the jam bottle. You don't want ants crawling all over your coins! Use a bottle-brush. Make sure to clean the threads of the screw-cap.

• Usually jam bottles come with some kind of stickers on them. These can be a real pain to take off at times. The best thing to do to get rid of these labels is to soak the jam bottles in soap-water overnight. The soap will act on the glue. Next morning, simply use a scrub to scrub the label off.

• Decorate the jam bottle. Use glass paint to paint on a lovely picture on the bottle. You can even use the clean plain bottle as it is. But then that is too crude a piggy bank, isn't it? Take the time out to embellish it. You can even personalize it that way!

• Finally, cut a slit through the screw-cap that would be long enough and wide enough to drop coins in. Now remember, be VERY careful while doing this step. Do not do it on your own! Ask your big brother or your dad to do it for you. If you want to make all on your own, however, then at least make sure you do this step under the supervision of an elder person.

• Now, just screw the cap on... and take the piggy bank in front of all your family members to collect your first coins!

To en-cash - Simply unscrew the bottle and retrieve money!

Remember how old plastic bottle always collect in the house? Cold-drink bottles, water bottles, bottles of liquid soaps... you get the drift, right? Well, here is how you can use them to make a piggy bank -

• First, here is what all you will need for this piggy bank idea - old plastic bottle, a hacksaw, lots of old rags, all kinds of stationery (sketch pens, color pencils, beads, string, felt... everything!). Got it? OK, let's begin!

• Under the supervision of your mom or dad, cut off the neck of the bottle carefully with a hacksaw. You can even use something else to cut it if you want. Hacksaw was what worked best for my nephew though (yeah we made this piggy bank).

• Use the old rags to make a cloth ball that is big enough to fit into the cut end of the bottle. Make sure the ball is not so small that it goes in, or so big that it refuses to even insert into the hole!
• We are going to use the bottle in a horizontal way. Place it on the table, hold firmly and cut a slit through the bottle big enough to drop coins inside.

• Now there are different options to make the bottle NOT look like a bottle. You can either paint it. You can cover the bottle in colored paper. You can even cover it with felt (which is what my nephew did). Use colors like beige, brown, black, white or pink. (You will understand why, as you read through!) Make sure you do not cover up the slit!

• Use spring or wire and cover it with the same colored paper/felt that you used to cover the bottle. Curve it and stick it on the intact end of the bottle.

• Finally, paste small pieces of colored felt or use sketch pens or sparkle glue to draw details like eyes, nose and mouth on the 'cloth ball'. Attach semi-circular felt pieces on the ball as ears... and your 'pig' is ready!

• You can use the old rags to make 'rods' that can act as legs and paste them onto the side of the bottle opposite to the one bearing the slit. That way your piggy will stand on a plain surface. You may even use foam blocks for the same.

To en-cash - Simply remove the 'head' of the piggy to retrieve money!

Aren't these some really cute piggy bank ideas? Apart from using old bottles, you can even use milk cartons or cardboard boxes and turn them into piggy banks. One interesting idea to use cardboard boxes is to make a small house out of a box.

You can have an inverted-V shaped roof for the house, with a chimney. The chimney can be where you drop your coins in from. The piggy bank can be designed so as to make the 'roof' of the house as a lid, so that to retrieve the money, you have to remove the roof top.

The best part about making a piggy bank at home is - you are actually making your Earth stay a little cleaner and greener. How? By using old glass and plastic bottles and cardboard boxes, you are in fact engaging in recycling! Doesn't that make you feel great?

Piggy bank is a great way for kids to learn money management. As kids, we always bought many things out of the money we collected in our piggy bank - roller-blades, books, shoes... it felt great! Hope you make a cute little piggy bank and put some money away for a rainy day!