Who's Afraid of the Swine?

With all the scuttlebutt about the swine flue, I thought I give us some reasons not to fear our farm yard friend. So I went looking through Artfire and Etsy, and rounded up some handmade items that made me fall in love with pigs all over again. Click on an image to go to that item in the Artist's online store or click on Artist's name to see all their items.

First up is a Piggy Pincushion from Blackbirdfashion of Etsy. Measuring approximately 4" tall and 5" wide, this sweet pincushion was crafted from a Japanese pig mug, some fiberfill, and a scrap of wool sweater. Any crafty guy or gal would enjoy having this little piggy hold their pins.


Then I found this adorable pink Pig Hat by Pigatopia on Artfire. This one made me wish it was Mardi Gras time all over again. The artist is donating all the money generated from the sale of this item to help pay for food shelter and vet bills of abandon abused and rescued animals.


This rubber ducky pig soap made me giggle. It is hypo-allergenic, non-comedogenic(does not clog pores) and meets vegan guidelines. DuckySoaps of Etsy makes a variety of rubber duck soaps that are soft and child safe. They come in many different fun themes for any occasion, and they'll even take custom orders.

This wonderfully vibrant piggy bank makes me want to feed him all my spare change, which could be very helpful in this time of economic penny pinching. He measures 5 3/4 inches high, 6 inches long and 4 1/2 inches wide. Ronalyn of Artfire, covered this ceramic bank with slices of her polymer clay cane and added solid color clay details using Premo brand clay. With proper care, this bank will last forever.


I had never heard of a clean pig before. Offered by Lesliejanson on Etsy, this 22" grain sack pillow is made of cotton cotton and has a lapped back for easy removal of the down and feather insert for cleaning. It sports a great pig graphic and a sense of humor as it reads "A clean pig is a happy pig". If my kids still lived at home, I think I'd buy one for each of them.

Now here is something for all the piggy lovers out there. Approximately 10" x 32", this piece of garden art was cut from heavy 16 gauge steel and then welded onto an "h" shaped stake for easy "planting". The artist, SteelMyArt, coated it with Instarust to initiate the natural rusting process and has this pig listed in her Artfire studio.

As a first time grandmother to be, this bib caught my eye. It is offered on Etsy by SherrifPeanut, a one woman bib making machine hailing from the Berwyn, Illinois. This bib was inspired by the scene in "A Christmas Story" where the mom says to the little brother "Show me how the piggy eats!" It is
covered in clear vinyl for easy wipe-ability, is machine washable in cold water, and should be hung up to dry!

I had a nostalgic moment when I happened upon this wooden pig toy made by HappySquashToys of Etsy. This farm friend is an originan design, and was cut by hand from poplar wood. It stands 4 inches tall and is 6 inches wide. Two coats of non-toxic water based paint were applied for a smooth finish and then topped off with a child safe protective coating to ensure that this piece will provide years and years of imaginary play.
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Last but not least, this set of four 1" plus half marbles feature 3/4" inch rare earth magnets would look wonderful on any fridge. These piggies are darling as they flirt from their blue-green background. Their creator, HoboMoon of Etsy, says, "The magnets are super strong, however all fridges are built differently. They may or may not adhere to your fridge depending on the surface or build of your fridge."

Hopefully viewing this collection of friendly pigs has taken your mind off the swine flue and restored your trust in these wonderful animals. Let me know which of these is your favorite pig, or if you know of another noteworthy pig themed piece of art, please leave a link in the comment section below. Have a happy Oink Oink day, and don't forget to wash your hands.