Plastic Bottle Piggy Bank

Last updated on October 8th, 2024 at 12:28 am

piggy bank made from a clear plastic bottle

by Jane Lake

I’ve been fascinated with piggy banks ever since I was kid, when I deposited my weekly pocket money into a black porcelain pig with white polka dots. I loved shaking that pig and hearing the coins rattle around although retrieving them was always a challenge. You had to turn the pig upside down, peer in the little slot, and hook onto a single coin with a knitting needle until you got it upended and balanced precisely to slide out of the slot.

recycled plastic bottle piggy bank — Piggy bank made from a recycled plastic bottle.

This plastic bottle piggy bank has several advantages. One, you can see through to the booty inside. Two, if you use a bottle with a big enough lid, you can let the coins out that way. And three, if the lid is too small, and you’re desperate, you can cut through the bottle itself.

But lets suppose, for now, you’re making a piggy bank which will hold all your money for a long time while you save up for something really special.

You Will Need:

plastic pop bottle, vegetable juice bottle, or similar plastic container
egg carton cups
small amount of craft paint, in white and black, and small paint brush
small scraps of paper, thin card or felt for the ears and tail
glue or sticky tape
craft knife or sharp manicure scissors
optional: pink chenille stem for tail

Craft Instructions:

Wash, rinse and dry the bottle and replace the cap.

(Please note: only adults should do the following step as it involves a knife or scissors, and requires applying pressure to an unstable object. Please exercise caution).

Cut the Money Slot

Turn the bottle sideways and cut a slot midway down of an appropriate size for the coins in your country.

This can be a bit tricky, as some bottle plastics are brittle and prone to cracking.

It sometimes helps to warm the bottle a little bit with a hair dryer first, before attempting to cut, as this makes the plastic more pliable and less liable to crack or split as you work.

Decorate the Piggy Bank

Give your bottle piggy bank some legs by cutting four sections from an egg carton and either gluing or taping them in place.

Other recyclable objects may also work as legs if you don’t have an egg carton: consider wine bottle corks, or four matching screw-top jar lids.

Cut two triangular shapes from paper, card, felt or craft foam. Color these pink, if you wish, for the pig’s ears. Glue them in place, as shown, at the top of the pig’s head.

Make a Corkscrew Pig Tail

If you have a pink piece of pipe cleaner, or chenille stem, cut it in half then wind one half around a pencil to make a corkscrew tail.

The tail can also be cut as a circular spiral from paper, card, felt or craft foam; when you pull out the spiral it will naturally make corkscrew curls. Glue the tail to the bottom of the bottle.

Now paint two small white circles for the pig’s eyes and let the paint dry. Add a dot of black paint or black marker to make eye’s pupils.

Paint two white ovals on the bottle lid to make the pig’s snout and let dry.

Finally, add money! Save as much as you can before you have to break the bank. Smile.

Adapted from WikiHow under Creative Commons License.