How to Customize a Squeezable Coin Pouch

Teach your child the benefits of saving money and share some crafting fun with a squeezable coin pouch she can customize. These portable, colorful, kitschy little coin holders, made of flexible plastic, were once very popular and are great for storing any change a child might find or receive. A neat, personalized coin pouch will encourage your child to learn saving habits that will last a lifetime.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic squeeze coin pouch
• Plastic googly eyes
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Fabric paint
• Glitter glue
• Assorted embellishments: buttons, rhinestones, beads
• Sheet of old newspaper

Instructions

1. Give your child a plain plastic coin pouch and one pair of googly eyes. Lay out the fabric paints and other decorations.

2. Select a variety of items with your child to arrange on the coin pouch. The pouch will probably only fit two or three items on its surface.

3. Help your child use hot glue to secure the items onto the coin pouch. Glue the eyes above the horizontal slit of the coin pouch so that the pouch looks like a large mouth when you squeeze its sides. A button or a similar item glued under the eyes will resemble a nose.

4. Allow your child to draw a design on the pouch with fabric paint or glitter glue. He can draw a smile under the slit opening of the pouch, draw lips around the opening, write his name on the surface, or add any decoration that catches his imagination. All the decorations should remain on the same side of the pouch.

5. Set the pouch on a sheet of newspaper to dry for at least one day. The paint will dry solid but will remain flexible, and the pouch will be ready for use.

Tips & Warnings

• Help your child start saving by giving her a quarter to put in her decorated pouch.

• Coin pouches and decorations are small, so children under 3 years old should not participate in this project due to the risk of choking.