Child-made gifts: make a money box

Welcome to the third post in our series of ideas for child-made Christmas presents: how to make a money box.

We’re sharing suggestions for gifts that are easy for the children to make and lovely for someone else to receive, and encourage the children to join in with the spirit of the season and give a little something to those they love.

This money box is so easy to make even a finger-painting baby can help make one.

How to make a money box

To make your money box you need to start by finding a suitable pot to transform. Ideally you want a pot that has a lid which is easy to remove and which is made of a material that’s easy to cut with a craft knife: a mini Pringles pot, a cocoa tub or a pot that had custard powder in are perfect.

The first thing you need to do with your pot is to make a slot in the lid so you can can pop your coins inside. If you put a sticker on the lid you can draw out the shape of the slot with a pencil, to check it’s the right size to fit your coins.

Cut out the slot using a craft knife – a job which you might need to get an adult to do. Then peel the remaining sticker off and you’re ready to customise your money box.

You can decorate the side of your money box any way you like. You might try:

:: painting it with acrylic paint

:: adding a layer of mod podge and layering on tissue paper, sequins or leaves

:: covering it with a piece of brown paper and some ribbons

:: re-using one of your child’s drawings or paintings, cut to size, wrapped around and glued in place

:: cutting a piece of paper to size and having your baby add finger paints or handprints

:: using stickers, glitter or stamps

Once you’ve added your design, pop in a shiny new coin to get the savings started and your homemade money box is ready to give as a gift.

More presents the children can make

If you like this money box idea you might also like:

:: how to finger knit a brooch

::  homemade chocolates

:: homemade selection box