How to Make a Pig for a Centerpiece Decoration

Pair a pork barbecue with a cute pig centerpiece.

Pigs make cute, creative centerpieces for birthday parties, family reunions and picnics. If you’re hosting a barbecue or children’s birthday party with a farm animal theme, a pig is an ideal subject for a homemade centerpiece decoration. Paper mache is an option for creating a pig centerpiece, but it’s also messy and time-consuming. Save time by using polystyrene foam balls and cylinders, which are excellent materials for animal crafts such as a pig centerpiece.

Things You'll Need

• Softball-sized polystyrene foam ball
• Mini-watermelon-sized polystyrene foam ball
• 4 polystyrene foam cylinders
• 2 1-1/2-inch wide polystyrene foam balls
• 1 2-inch wide polystyrene foam ball
• Pink paint
• Paintbrush
• Pink glitter
• Hot glue gun
• Scissors
• Pink pipe cleaner
• Black marker

Instructions

1. Paint the softball-sized polystyrene foam ball and the larger polystyrene foam ball pink. While these are still wet, sprinkle them with pink glitter, and then set the balls on a piece of plastic wrap to dry. Next, paint the four polystyrene foam cylinders, two 1-1/2-inch wide polystyrene foam balls, and two-inch wide polystyrene foam ball pink. Again, sprinkle with pink glitter and let them dry on plastic wrap.

2. Place a generous layer of hot glue on the end of a softball-size polystyrene foam ball. Attach the foam ball to the end of the larger polystyrene foam ball. Hold the two balls together for one minute, until glue hardens.

3. Spread hot glue on the ends of four polystyrene foam cylinders to form legs for your pig centerpiece. Attach the four cylinders to the underside or belly of the large polystyrene foam ball. Hold the pieces in place while the glue dries.

4. Poke a small hole in the back of the pig’s midsection with a pair of scissors. Twist a pink pipe cleaner into a curly tail by wrapping it around a wooden kitchen spoon handle, and then stick the twisted pipe cleaner into the hole.

5. Glue two 1-1/2-inch-wide polystyrene foam balls to either side of the pig’s head for ears. Glue one 2-inch-wide polystyrene foam ball to the center of the pig’s face to create a nose.

6. Draw eyes,nostrils and a mouth on the pig’s face with a black marker.

7. Set your pig on a bed of hay or straw in the center of a table at your party.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a polystyrene ball that's about six-inches long and four-inches wide for the body of your pig, or a piece that resembles the size of a miniature watermelon.

References

• All Kids Network: Styrofoam Mouse Craft

Resources

• Ultimate Paper Mache: How to Make a Paper Mache Piggy Bank
• Pregnancy: Kid’s Activity - Paper Mache Pig
• All Kids Network: Pig Craft