How to Make a Papier Mache Pig Bank

This is a fun project I used to teach shapes, improve manual dexterity skills, and give us an opportunity to start introducing the concept of money. My kids had a lot of fun making these and I think yours will too.

Start with a balloon and blow it up until it is around 8 inches in diameter. It doesn't matter what color it is, it just needs to be round or oblong shaped. Tie the balloon off and this will be your pig's body.

Next your pig needs feet, a nose, and a tail. For the feet you can cut sections from an empty paper towel roll tube, and use masking tape to tape them in place underneath your pig's balloon body. For the nose you can use the cap off an empty milk container. The tail can be a bit of pipe cleaner, a bit of yarn, or a bit of ribbon; whatever you have handy. Tape all of these securely in place with masking tape.

Once you have your pig's body completed you will need to mix your papier mache mix. You can use the same white non-toxic glue that your kids use for school projects. Mix it half and half with cool water. Stir it until it makes a thin gooey mess.

Dip torn bits of newspaper into the glue-water mixture and lay them onto your pig's body making sure that you cover completely the balloon body, his feet, and his nose but don't cover up the tail. Just go around the tail, kind of anchoring it in place and covering up the masking tape. Once you have a solid layer of newsprint all over your pig go over it again using tissue paper. If you have pink tissue paper your pig will start to look pink right away, if you don't have pink just use white tissue paper and it will painted over later.

Allow all your layers of papier mache to dry completely, then paint your pig pink if you need to, or any other color combination if your child feels like being extra creative. You can also use the paint to make facial features if you want, or your can glue on accessories like googley eyes.

Use bits of folded pink paper or pink felt to fashion ears for your pig. We used a triangle about 2 inches high and one-and-a-half inches wide, and then folded the last half inch under to glue against the pig so that the ears would stand up on his head. Give the ears, and any other accessories that you have added, a chance to dry completely.

Once you pig is dry and firm, you will cut the hole to be able to put the coins in. The hole should be at least an inch long, (possibly longer if you want to put in larger coins like half dollars or foreign coins), and at least a quarter-inch wide. As you cut the hole you will hear the balloon pop. That's okay. The balloon will probably just stay inside the body of your pig. The papier mache will hold the shape without the balloon at this point.

This project gives your child an opportunity to practice their manual skills and their creativity. Once it's complete you can use it as the basis to start a discussion on money and savings.

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