Lately I’ve been collecting change around the house, and I’ve amassed quite a collection. I occasionally find change in pants pockets shortly before putting clothes in the washing machine. I consider that my pay for doing the laundry, and I happily pocket what I find. I discover occasional coins on the carpeting, and I can’t forget the ever-increasing collection of change in my purse. Before my purse ends up weighing five pounds, I want to remove the change and put it in a piggy bank, but unfortunately I don’t have one, and I’ve been tossing the coins in a shallow dish. I’ve been thinking of ideas for making a piggy bank instead of buying one from the store, and the following is a simple bank that’s easy to make and even easier to personalize.
A Very Special Savings Bank
Last year I noticed an end cap of very cute banks at Wal-Mart. They weren’t piggy banks shaped like pigs. They were specialty banks designed to save money for bingo, yard sales, movies, and whatnot. I wanted one of those specialty banks, but I couldn’t find just the right one, and they weren’t exactly cheap. I’ve decided I can make a personalized piggy bank myself using a canning jar and a few craft supplies, and I can make one for my own personal savings goal. No, it won’t look exactly like the piggy banks I saw at Wal-Mart, but it will be just as good, and my piggy bank will hold more coins than the smaller jars they offered.
Necessary Supplies
To make a piggy bank that doesn’t look at all like a piggy you’ll need a canning jar and a canning jar ring in a size of your choice, a sheet of cardstock for the lid, a small amount batting to stuff the lid, narrow satin ribbon, items to hang from the ribbons to personalize the jar, and color-coordinated fabric. You’ll also need glass paint, a small paint brush, Gorilla glue, scissors, a small utility knife, and a pencil.
Gorilla glue is the brand of glue I use for all of my craft projects. It’s super strong, and if Gorilla glue won’t hold something in place, nothing will! You can find Gorilla glue at The Gorilla Glue Website. Search the site to locate a retail outlet, or order it online. You won’t be disappointed!
Procedure
Begin by personalizing the canning jar piggy bank with glass paint. I haven’t made mine yet, but I plan on painting the words “Trip Jar” on my special piggy bank. It seems as if I’m always saving toward a vacation or special trip, and a piggy bank trip jar would greatly help my cause.
Next, trace the opening of the piggy bank jar on a sheet of cardstock. This will be the cover for the jar. Draw a slot for the coins in the center of the cardstock circle, and cut it out using a small utility knife.
The next step involves making a fabric cover for the piggy bank lid. Cut out a circle of fabric that’s about an inch larger in diameter than the cardstock circle. Center the fabric circle over the cardboard circle, and cut a slot in the fabric to match the slot in the cardstock. Glue the edges of the fabric firmly around the coin slot, and allow the glue to dry completely before continuing. Finish the piggy bank lid by placing a little batting under the fabric before gluing the edges under the cardstock circle. It won’t take much batting, and when the piggy bank lid is in place it will be puffy.
Lastly, place the lid on the piggy bank jar, and cut enough ribbon to completely wrap around the neck and hang down a few inches. Tie on a series of colorful pony beads or charms of your choice. I plan on tying a couple of small fishing lures to my piggy bank trip jar since my goal is to save for a fishing trip to the upper peninsula of Michigan, and I can’t wait to get started!
