Paper Mache Piggy Bank

YOU WILL NEED

1. torn strips of newspaper

2. 3 toilet paper rolls

3. a bowl to mix your "paste in"

4. 1 cup of flower

5. 2 cups of water

6. tape and a balloon

7. Paint & Brushes

Make your own Paper Mache Piggy Bank with simple supplies you probably have right now!

YOU WILL NEED:

1 balloon 1 paper towel roll or 3 toilet paper rolls (I know you all have lots of this right now, hahaha) or a cardboard egg carton 1 cup of all purpose flour 2 cups of water newspaper (you can find at the gas station if you're curious) paint & brushes bowl tape

1. Blow up your balloon to desired piggy bank size (this is your mold)

2. Cut your paper towel roll into 4 legs and a snout, with small amount remaining, cut out ears (or you can use other cardboard to make the ears)

If you're using a cardboard egg carton, just cut out 4 legs and a snout from the bottom of the carton (where the eggs sit)

3. Tape your ears, snout and legs to the pig. (where the hole is for the pig snout, we put a ball of newspaper in there so it wasn't completely hollow)

4. Tear newspaper into strips (tip: tearing makes a cooler look than cut strips, but note that tearing is a lot simpler if you tear down the newspaper instead of across)

5. In a medium to large bowl, completely mix 1 cup of flower and 2 cups of water until well combined, this will be your "glue" or paste.

6. Dip one strip of newspaper at a time into the paste coating it completely. Hold the strip between two fingers of one hand and with the other hand, pull it through your fingers to remove all excess paste.

7. Lay the strip on the mold and gently smooth in place. Repeat this process with overlapping and layering in all different directions. When the balloon is covered, set aside to dry for a bit. Add another layer and keep layering until you feel it's good. (I did about 3 layers) 8. When completely dry, cut a slot in the top of the pig (this will pop the balloon). Paint to your little hearts desire and start saving up!

NOTE: Ours does not have a way to extract the money, it will have to be busted open one day. She's probably going to be saving for a combine. In which, we will need to make a lot more banks.

Piggy Bank Facts - WHO KNEW?

In China, the pig symbolized death and abundance. On farms, the pig served as a way to grow wealth. Based on this, long ago, people who hoped to become wealthy by saving cash began making pig-shaped containers for storing their coins. They fed their pig banks leftover money (spare change) until they were full.

Banks in the shape of a pig first appeared in Europe around the 1400's, most made of ceramic or porcelain. Early piggy banks had a slot to insert coins but no way to remove them. To get the money out, the bank had to be broken.