Handmade piggy banks with fun mechanisms! A collection of summer vacation craft ideas that will amaze even adults
“Summer vacation is just around the corner, but I still haven’t decided on a craft project…” Many kids may be feeling this way.That’s why we recommend the classic craft: a handmade piggy bank!But a plain box shape is boring.If you make a piggy bank with a fun mechanism—like coins that spin, or one that walks or wobbles with movements that seem like magic—you’ll enjoy both the building process and managing your money every day after it’s done.In this article, we’ll introduce a variety of amazing piggy bank craft ideas you can make with simple materials.
Handmade piggy banks with fun mechanisms! A collection of ideas for summer vacation crafts that will amaze even adults (1–10)
Sorting Piggy Bank
How about making a piggy bank out of cardboard that automatically sorts coins? It looks complicated, but it’s actually easy to make! Here’s how the coins are sorted: since each coin has a different thickness, you create a piece of cardboard with a row of holes sized to match each coin’s thickness, and install it inside the piggy bank like a slide.
When you put money in, the coins slide along that section and drop into the hole that matches their thickness.
The important point is to place the holes for smaller coins toward the front and the holes for larger coins toward the back.
After that, you just need to make the outer box of the piggy bank and the coin slot, so it’s perfect for a summer vacation craft project!
Piggy bank ghost
Here’s an idea for a piggy bank where a ghost “eats” your money.
The materials are cardboard, wooden sticks, rubber bands, and string.
Roughly speaking, you first make the outer body of the piggy bank, then create the moving parts and the rotating parts.
Once both are ready, place the moving parts inside the piggy bank, install the rotating parts on the outside and inside, and connect them with rubber bands and string.
When you turn the round piece attached to the outside, the ghost’s tongue will move in and out—once that mechanism works, you’re almost done.
After that, decorate it so it looks like a ghost.
There are some detailed steps, but the overall process is simple, so give it a try!
Dangerous Piggy Bank
Let’s make a dangerous piggy bank that snaps shut when you insert money! It looks like a piggy bank, but be careful—you can’t actually save money with it.
Build it purely as a toy that resembles a piggy bank.
Materials: cardboard, square wooden sticks, rubber bands, and twine.
If you want to decorate it to look like a creature, prepare eye parts and felt as well.
The mechanism works so that when you insert a coin, an internal stopper drops and the left and right side panels open.
Rubber bands are hooked onto the side panels, so the force from the panels snapping open makes the piggy bank move.
It requires some fine work, but there aren’t any difficult steps—give it a try if you like.
Piranha Plant Piggy Bank
Here’s an idea for a frog-shaped chomping piggy bank.
You pull the tongue inside its mouth forward and place a coin in the dip.
Then, when you press the switch on top of its head, it “eats” the money.
Kids might be tempted to put lots of coins into a piggy bank that feels like a toy, don’t you think? This one is made as a frog, but as long as you replicate the internal mechanism, I think it could be made as other creatures too.
Try making it as whatever animal you’d like to feed coins to!
Slope Piggy Bank
How about making a fun piggy bank where coins roll down a slope? You’ll use a milk carton, wooden chopsticks, and a clear file.
Make three rectangular pieces from milk cartons.
Turn them sideways, stack two, and glue them together.
Then glue the remaining one at the very bottom, shifted slightly forward.
Cut a coin slot at the upper right edge of the bottom milk carton, and decorate with origami paper or masking tape.
Glue chopsticks to both ends of the gap created by the offset, and add a slope so coins fall into the slot.
Close the top with a piece cut from a clear file.
Your piggy bank is complete! If you want to be able to use the money whenever you like, add a retrieval opening as well.
A piggy bank where a cat takes the money
A cat puts money into a piggy bank! It’s an idea that makes inserting coins fun.
Combine cardboard to create a mechanism where, when you turn an external lever, the cat’s paw pulls the coin into the box.
Then make the outer part of the coin box, the cat’s paw, and its face, and add a coin placement spot where the paw can reach—then it’s complete.
You can make it with cardboard, bamboo skewers, glue, and other common materials, but since the cat’s paw will be moved constantly during use, be sure to glue it firmly and build it sturdy so it moves smoothly.
ATM-style piggy bank
Just like a real ATM! Here’s a piggy bank idea made using a milk carton and a toilet paper roll.
First, create the main body of the piggy bank with a milk carton.
Then make the money tray using another milk carton and a toilet paper roll, and secure it inside.
Decorate the outside of the carton with construction paper or plastic sheets so it looks like an ATM, and you’re done.
When you insert a card, it triggers a mechanism that drops the saved coins down, so you can even experience “withdrawing” money!
secret stash piggy bank
Stashing money away where nobody will find it—“hesokuri,” a secret savings.
This piggy bank is an idea that makes that hesokuri possible! Since it’s hesokuri, you don’t want it to look like a piggy bank and give it away.
So first, make a pen stand with a small accessory drawer.
Then attach a hollow base so it can function as a piggy bank.
Where does the money go in? Through the bottom of the accessory drawer’s frame.
Design it so that when you pull the drawer out, you can see the slot.
If you’re looking for an idea that will make everyone go “Ah!” in surprise, this is it!
Pinwheel piggy bank
Let’s make a piggy bank that spins a pinwheel when you insert a coin! You’ll need a milk carton, an empty 6-slice cheese box, a bamboo skewer, and a straw.
First, cut open one side of the milk carton so it can be opened, and make one hole in that side and another hole in the opposite side.
Also make a coin slot at the top.
Next, cut another milk carton into a ring about 5 cm tall, flatten it into a cross shape, and fix a bamboo skewer at its center to create the rotating mechanism.
Insert this into the holes in the milk carton, then attach the pinwheel blades made from the empty 6-slice cheese box to the outside, and you’re done! To prevent the internal mechanism and the blades from shifting left and right, thread small pieces of straw on the skewer as spacers.
Shaved ice coin bank
Let’s make a shaved ice-themed coin bank using a small milk carton.
First, peel off the printed layer of the carton to make the whole surface white.
Paint the triangular top area to look like syrup, then apply aurora (iridescent) paper over it.
Next, cut a coin slot and two holes for a bamboo skewer.
Combine two pieces of cardboard to create a spinning component.
Thread a short piece of straw, the spinning component, and another short straw onto the bamboo skewer in that order, then insert it through the holes in the milk carton.
On the outside, attach another spinning piece shaped like pinwheel blades with a face drawn on it.
Trim any excess bamboo skewer sticking out on the outside, add a cardboard border to enclose it, and finally close the top of the milk carton to finish.
When you drop in a coin, the outer part spins and a little face pops out—it’s super cute!