Encourage kids to start saving with their own personalised piggy banks. These papier mรขchรฉ piggies are fun and easy to make from everyday items around the house. Using papier mรขchรฉ is a great sensory activity for children, but if youโre worried about gluey globs getting everywhere then do this part outside to take the stress out of the mess!
You Will Need:
- A balloon
- Items you can use for body parts, e.g. egg box/cardboard tube pieces for the legs; lid/yoghurt pot for the nose; card/foam/felt/material for the ears
- Scissors
- Sellotape
- Newspaper
- Plain flour
- Water
- Salt
- Paint
- Glue
- Pen (for adding nostrils/eyes/tail)
- Additional items for decoration if desired, e.g. craft eyes, pipe cleaners
How to Make a Piggy Bank with Papier Mache
STEP 1
Blow up the balloon to your desired size. Then cut out or gather your piggy legs and nose and tape them to the balloon. (You can cut out cardboard ears and tape them on too at this stage, or see later for details of how to create non-mรขchรฉd ears.)
STEP 2
In a large bowl, mix plain flour and water to form a gloopy paste โ about one cup of each should be enough for one piggy. Then add salt to the mixture (a tablespoon per cup of flour) to preserve the ingredients and prevent mould.
STEP 3
Tear the newspaper into strips. Then dip them in the paste and stick all over the balloon, legs and nose. Continue till you have done about two to three layers all over.
HINT: Try to avoid using straight edges on the top layer as these do not blend as easily.
STEP 4
Leave your piggy to dry thoroughly.
NOTE: Be careful not to expose it to dramatic changes in temperature at this stage as it may (โdidโ <sob!>) cause the balloon to expand or shrink and the newspaper to tear. Also, possibly (โdefinitely would have beenโ) worth knowing is that papier mรขchรฉ is surprisingly an irresistible delicacy to both possums and dogs. Weโre not sure about other animals, but probably best to avoid ones with mouths.
STEP 5
Once the papier mรขchรฉ is thoroughly dry, cut a slot in the top for the coins. Then paint your piggy. An undercoat of white helps to hide the print, then cover with any colour or pattern you like. You can mix equal parts paint and PVA glue to create a shinier and more durable finish.
STEP 6
Make your piggy ears. Cut two circles out of plain, coloured or patterned foam, felt or material. We used foam painted to match our piggies, but contrasting colours or shades work well, and beautifully printed fabric would look awesome! Fold the circles in half and cut a line from about halfway up to the centre top. Then pinch and staple or glue the bottom parts to create little creases.
STEP 7
Glue the ears onto your piggy and draw or glue on the eyes, nostrils and tail.
STEP 8
Start saving for something special!
Take a look at our other Craft and Fun Ideas, like Exploding Dino Eggs.
Michele H
How do you get the money out of the piggy bank?
Julia
You would have to cut a hole on the bottom; the size of a standard bank plug and use that to close the hole.
Shaun
You cut the plug hole where his tail would be. Then drill an appropriate size hole in the plug to push a pink pipe cleaner through. Then roll the interior side of pipe cleaner in a ball and hot glue it to prevent it from pulling out. Then curl the outer piece for the tail.
Ehrman Ehrmann
I did this many years ago for the 3 and 4 year olds in my Sunday school class and I used the top of a plastic milk jug to make it so you could open it at the bottom before I did the layers of paper mache. Not sure if that would work for you. The largest coin in Canada is the toonie (28mm) and that fits through the spigot of a milk jug. You may have to adjust depending on the currency in your country of origin.