Air dry clay is a very good and versatile art material and one pack normally lets you create quite a lot. One thing I learnt using air dry clay is not leave the pack open too long before you finish it or it will get rock hard. If you don’t use it up in one go, make sure you seal the pack in a plastic bag to avoid drying up. At the weekend we used the left over clay from our Easter baskets and we made a cute piggy bank.

All you need is air dry clay, a support to hold the structure – we used a plastic surprise container left from an Easter egg, but anything round would do – a plastic lead to close the piggy bank so you don’t have to smash it to empty it, acrylic paints, water based varnish and brushes.

1. Cut the plastic at the top to insert the coins.

2. Cover the surface of the plastic shape with a thick layer of clay using a little water to obtain a smooth effect.

3. Make the base separately and cut a hole in the middle using the plastic lead to match the gap.

4. Merge the base with the rounded top.

5. Add two piggy ears and a nose.

6. Leave to dry overnight. Don’t speed up the process by using the oven or the plastic inside will melt.

7. Paint the piggy as you like.

8. Finish with water based varnish.