DIY bank for kids [plastic mason jars]

My husband, Kevin, and I decided to start teaching our girls (5 and 3) about money at an early age.

The first step was to build each of them their own 3 part bank, so that they could practice using their allowance money wisely.

Here is how the banks turned out:

DIY bank for kids: Use plastic mason jars and a wooden base to create a homemade bank. Includes a GIVE, a SPEND, and a SAVE jar. #kidsbank #kidsbanks

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We knew we wanted to have three different jars: one for money to give, or tithe, one to spend, and one jar for money to save for something special.

I love mason jars, and was delighted to find that they make these jars out of plastic. Did I mention that our kids are 5 and 3? I love mason jars, but there was no way I was giving them anything made of glass- haha!

We found the lids online. They were a little tricky to get on the plastic jars at first, but they do fit. You just have to wiggle them a little bit to get them on.

I labeled each jar with these chalkboard label stickers. (The chalkboard marker was included when I ordered the labels.)

Kevin then built a wooden base for the jars (I included his building directions below) and I wrote each girls’ name on the base using these paint markers. (We already had a whole collection of these markers since we use them to paint rocks.)

I’m loving how these banks turned out.

Want to make your own? Here’s how to do it:

Bank Supply List:

1/2″ plywood
White paint
Plastic mason jars
Coin slot lids for mason jars
Chalkboard labels (comes with chalk marker)
Paint markers

Product	Price
Cornucopia 16-Ounce Clear Plastic Mason…	$18.00	Buy on Amazon
HinLot Pack of 6 Colored Coin Slot Lids…	$4.99	Buy on Amazon
SHARPIE Oil-Based Paint Markers	$9.60	Buy on Amazon
96 Chalkboard Labels for Organizing,…	$11.99	Buy on Amazon

How to make your bank:

(From my husband, who actually made it- haha!)

I had several pieces of 1/2″ plywood leftover from a project.
I measured out the bottom piece of wood (11.75″ x 4.5″) and cut it with a table saw. You could use a circular saw as well.
Once I had the bottom piece cut, I cut the sides. The two long pieces were 11.75″ long and 1″ tall.
Then I cut 4 small pieces that would fit between the length side pieces. The 4 divider pieces were each 3.5″ long and 1″ tall.
I sanded each piece of wood with a Dewalt Random Orbiter Sander.
Then I used clamps to hold the two long pieces in place while I nailed them in. I used a nail gun and 1.25″ nails.
Then I inserted the 4 divider pieces, and just held those in place while I nailed them in.
I used some wood filler for any little touch ups or small gaps that I wanted to cover.
The girls painted their own banks. I will admit that I also touched up their painting because there were paint drips and large amounts of unpainted surfaces. I put 2 coats on each base.