Not finding a piggy bank your child likes? Try these homemade alternatives!

Soda/Water Bottle Bank

Very carefully cut a slot in the side of an old soda bottle large enough for coins and bills to fit through easily. If the edges are sharp, cover them by folding some thick construction paper over each edge and gluing the paper in place. Some tweezers can help you pinch the paper into the right position through the slot. Let your child paint the bottle any way they like, or glue on some cloth or construction paper. For legs, cut out four squares from an egg carton and glue them on to the bottle. You can use construction paper for ears, craft eyes, and a pipe cleaner tail to complete the bank.

Paper Mache Bank

Blow up a balloon to whatever size your child wants. Mix up some flour and glue in a bowl with your child and have him help you tear some strips of newspaper up. The strips work best if they’re around an inch wide. Dip the paper strips in the glue and flour mixture, and then position them over the balloon until it’s covered. Leave a small rectangle open for the money to go in, as well as a square on the rear of the “pig” to get the money out. Repeat the process until your child’s pig has enough layers, letting each layer dry completely before putting on another one. Pop the balloon and glue egg carton sections to paper mache balloon for the nose and legs. Let your child paint the bank and glue on some craft eyes and construction paper ears. Cut a square of fabric large enough to cover the hole you’ve left on the back of the pig and stitch some Velcro around all four sides. Use superglue to position the complementary Velcro pieces around the hole on the pig. This way, you’ll have a removable cover for the hole and won’t need to destroy the pig if your child wants his money.

Air-Hardening Clay Bank

For this piggy bank, blow up a small balloon. Cover it with air dry clay, leaving a rectangle for the money to go in—if it’s easier, you can always cut the rectangle out instead of trying to shape one. Separate out seven small balls of clay. Mold four of them into cones—these will be the legs for the piggy bank. Flatten two out and shape them into triangles—these will be the ears. Roll the last one into a ball and then press it between your fingers to make a cylinder—this is the nose. Roll some additional clay out into a long strip and pinch off two small sections from one end. The strip will be the tail, and the pinched-off clay will become the eyes. Using a little water and a wooden smoothing tool if necessary, attach the parts of the pig onto the body in their proper places. Allow the pig to dry completely. Pop the balloon and pull it out of the money slot with tweezers. Then it’s time to paint the bank! You can add some gloss to give it a shinier, more finished look if you want, but it’s not necessary.

Canning Jar Bank

Let your child spray paint an old canning jar any color they like. Cut a round piece of fabric large enough to completely cover the opening of the jar and extend out from under the lid. Fold the fabric in half and cut a rectangle from the center of the folded side—remember, the opening will be twice the width when you unfold the cloth, so you don’t need to cut too deeply. Cut two small triangles from construction paper and glue them across from each other on the jar rim. The cloth and jar rim will look a bit like a hat, and the paper will look like the tips of the pig’s ears. Paint some eyes, a nose, and a mouth onto the jar. Place the cloth over the opening and screw on the rim.