Summer is in full swing, and my children have been doing extra chores around the house to earn spending money for camp. My youngest is four, and every coin he finds is special, so we decided to make a paper mache piggy bank to hold his money!

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Making a paper mâché piggy bank was easier than I thought. We gathered our supplies and two days later, my son has a cute bank that he helped make! (He painted it himself, too!) The total cost for our project was under $1 because we had leftover supplies from other craft projects.  The total cost for filling the bank, well, that’s to be determined!

How to Make a Paper-Mache Piggy Bank

YOU WILL NEED:
1 balloon
1 paper towel
Tape
Cardboard
Newspaper
Bowl
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups water
Paint and paintbrushes
Stickers (optional)

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  1. The balloon will be used as your mold. Blow it up to your desired piggy bank size.
  2. Cut the paper towel roll into five pieces to serve as the feet and snout. Tape the feet and snout to the balloon.
  3. Cut ears out of the cardboard. Tape them to your piggy bank’s head.
  4. Tear newspaper into strips 1 to 2 inches wide and in a variety of lengths. These don’t need to be perfect.
  5. In the bowl, combine the flour and water. Stir to make a smooth paste.
    The next step will get messy, so we do it outside or on a tablecloth, at least!
  6. Dip one strip of newspaper into the paste, coating it thoroughly. Hold the strip between two fingers of one hand and, with the other hand, pull it through your fingers to remove the excess paste.
  7. Lay the strip on the mold. Gently smooth in place. Repeat, overlapping the strips and laying them in different directions. When the balloon is covered, and each time you add layers, set it aside to dry thoroughly and put a cover on the paste. Repeat the process until you are satisfied. (We recommend at least 3-4 layers.)
  8. When completely dry, cut a slot in the top of the pig to pop the balloon. Remove the balloon through the slot. Paint or decorate your piggy bank.  You can also cut a flap in the bottom to later remove money, or wait and do this later.

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