Saving money is one of the best habits to have, and if you start at a tender age, one can amass a fortune by the time you are a grown-up!

While most of us give any money we get, as gifts or pocket money, to our mum for safekeeping, we may also have some sort of money box to keep our little fortune. So those who do not have a money box, let us tell you how to make your very own personalised box to keep your cash.

Things you need:

1. Cardboard box (of anything) in rectangle or square shape, or you can use pieces of cardboard to make a box.

2. Extra cardboard pieces for making sections for coins.

3. A cutter or scissors

4. Plastic piece to be used on the front side (according to the size of your box).

5. Wrapping papers

6. Hot glue

7. Four-inch piece of either ribbon or any string

8. Pencil and inch-ruler

Directions:

1. You need to take help from an adult to cut the front side of the box; see pictures 2 and 3 and (leave it aside).

2. To make the inside mechanism or sections, cut six pieces of cardboard (three-inches width, six inches-length) and two large pieces, one to be used as the back and one for the front (all according to the size of my box); picture 4.

3. Paste three sections for three coins (1 rupee, 2 rupee and 5 rupee) on the large piece of cardboard and paste the bottom piece as shown in pictures 5, 6 and 7.

Note: you have to leave the top open.

1. Take other piece of cardboard and cut out a square according to the plastic you have (this is going to be the front). Picture 8.

2. Paste plastic behind the cut out; then wrap both the cut out and the sectioned-box with a nice wrapping paper, pictures 9 and 10.

3. Make a loop at one end of the ribbon and paste the other end under the now sectioned-structure; picture 11.

4. Put hot glue on the sections’ top edges and paste the cut-out on to it; see pictures 12 and 13.

5. Take the main box and mark the coin sizes on top and then carefully cut it out; pictures 14 and 15.

6. Wrap the main box with a wrapping paper, you can either use the same colour/pattern, or use two different ones. Picture 16

7. Put the sectioned mechanism inside the main box, picture 17.

Published in Dawn, Young World, April 14th, 2018