Money gifts are becoming increasingly popular. This may be because everything is usually already available and people are saving for something bigger like a holiday or renovation, or because someone simply wants to choose for themselves what to buy. The difficult thing is that it doesn't look great if you turn up at a birthday or wedding with nothing but an envelope. Personally I don't like giving just money in an envelope. That's why I went looking for original money gifts and then had a hard time choosing one. Here I want to make the search easier for you and list my favourites that are quick to make and still original:
Ideas for cash gifts
Folded money as fish
A nice and simple idea is to fold the money and attach it to a picture. The "sea" motif is a lovely option for giving money creatively. For this, fish, boats and starfish are folded from banknotes and glued onto a coloured photo card with small Tixo rolls. Of course a treasure chest filled with coin cents shouldn't be missing. The whole thing goes into a nice picture frame and can then be nicely wrapped.
What you’ll need:
- Banknotes
- Coins
- Googly eyes, or small circles cut from construction paper
- Construction paper in 2 different shades of blue, beige and green
- Printout of a treasure chest on paper
- Picture frame
- Tixo
- Glitter pen
- Glue
- Glitter
Instructions:
First cut the light blue construction paper to the size of the picture frame. Cut the dark blue construction paper a little shorter and cut a wave along one long side. Cut individual plants from the green paper and cut a narrow strip from the beige paper, with a wave along one long side. Glue the dark blue onto the light blue. Then glue the beige at the very bottom as sand. Now glue the green trailing plants onto the dark blue, starting at the beige.
Now from the banknotes small fish, large fish, boats, crab or a starfish fold. To attach the banknotes, I simply formed a little roll out of ordinary Tixo tape (place the non-sticky side of the Tixo on a finger, roll it up and stick the ends together) and with that the fish and/or boats as well as the coins can be wonderfully glued on (and then removed again!). I also stuck the googly eyes on with small Tixo rolls. Then stick the picture with the treasure chest on and distribute the cent coins on it using Tixo rolls. I drew the air bubbles with my daughter's glitter pen and applied the glitter onto the sand using glue. Let everything dry well and then put it in the picture frame.
You can find more details on crafting a money-praline box here: Money gift: Folded money as fish
Folded money fish in a jar
What you’ll need:
- Banknotes
- Googly eyes, or small circles cut from construction paper
- Nice large glass container
- Tixo
- Sand
- Thin sticks of varying lengths
- optional small plant
- optional shells
- optional nice cord
Instructions:
Fill about 1/3 of the glass container with sand. Place the small plant and shells on the sand.
Now from the banknotes small fish, large fish, crab or a starfish fold. To attach the banknotes, I simply formed a little roll out of ordinary Tixo tape (place the non-sticky side of the Tixo on a finger, roll it up and stick the ends together) and with that the fish can be nicely glued onto the thin sticks (and then removed again!). The googly eyes are also glued on with small Tixo rolls. Stick the sticks with the fish into the sand. The jar can be further decorated nicely with shells, a pretty cord or similar.
Toy car with money
This variant is also suitable for wrapping money in an original way. All you need is a classy Matchbox car, a nice box and a sheet with a road motif. The money is attached to the car as small rolls with string and the road is glued into the box. It looks very nice and can be wrapped well.
What you’ll need:
- Toy car (depending on the size of the box, Matchbox car or larger)
- large box (that the car fits into)
- strings
- Banknotes
- paper printout with road motif sized to the box
- Tixo
- optional wedding decorations: (small flower for the car, white string for the antenna, if available, etc.)
Instructions:
Glue the road printout into the box. Roll the banknotes into small rolls and tie them with string. Attach a long string to the car and tie on the rolls. Fix the car to the road with Tixo rolls. The car can be decorated with wedding decorations. For example a small flower can be glued onto the hood with a Tixo roll, or a small "Just married" banner on the rear window. Finally close the box and wrap it nicely, unless it is already a nice gift box.
Umbrella filled with money
This is a simple yet effective way to give money. All you need to buy is a new umbrella and possibly some pretty strings. The banknotes are rolled into little rolls and tied with string to the umbrella's ribs from the inside. That way it will rain money when the recipient opens the umbrella.
What you’ll need:
- Umbrella
- strings
- Banknotes
Instructions:
This is a very quick money gift. Roll the banknotes into little rolls and secure them with string. Now tie the rolls to long strings and attach them inside the opened umbrella. Close the umbrella again and optionally wrap it nicely.
Treasure chest
A classic among money gifts is a treasure chest. Here the amount to be gifted can be changed into small change to your heart's content and filled into a beautiful treasure chest. If you like, you can arrange this differently; for example a little sand and shells can cover the coins so that at first you think you are only getting beach finds. It's also funny to mix chocolate coins under the real coins. Just be careful: depending on the amount the chest can become very heavy with coins.
What you’ll need:
- Treasure chest
- Small change
- optional sand, shells, chocolate coins, etc.
Instructions:
This is a lightning gift because it goes very quickly: just put the required small change into the chest, optionally mix in small presents (chocolate coins etc.) and cover with sand and shells if desired. The treasure chest is ready.
Chocolate box with money
It's funny when the money is given in the form of a chocolate box. For this, remove the chocolate from the packaging and replace it with small "money pralines". The banknotes are folded small and the coins of different sizes are glued together. Decorate everything with pretty artificial flowers or rhinestones.
What you’ll need:
- empty chocolate box
- Small change
- Tixo
- Scissors
- Decoration: small paper muffin or praline cups, rhinestones, artificial flowers, etc.
- optional self-adhesive foil or decorative paper for covering the box
Instructions:
Also a nice idea to give money originally. Remove the "real" chocolate pralines from a chocolate box. If desired, place small paper muffin or praline cups into the chocolate box. Fold banknotes to the size of the praline cups when giving notes. Coins can be stacked into little coin towers and fixed with Tixo. Notes and coins can also be combined.
Of course you can also decorate the box in an original way. Use self-adhesive foil or nice paper. It's really great if you also print suitable texts and stick them on the box, for example instead of the explanations of the pralines other funny texts.
You can find more details on crafting a money-praline box here: Cash gift: box of chocolates with money
Money in jelly
If the couple asks for 'honeymoon money' because they want to go on a nice honeymoon after the wedding, it's a good idea to package the money with the 'beach' motif.
What you’ll need:
- sand or small stones
- large, shallow bowl
- optional real palm
- Aluminum foil
- optional small shells
- coins
- blue jelly or gelatin and blue food colouring
- optional Playmobil accessories like deck chairs, figures, treasure chest, etc.
Instructions:
Fill a large shallow bowl halfway with a little sand or small stones. Plant a real palm in the sand if you have one. Separate the sand or stones roughly in the middle with aluminium foil and possibly scatter small shells on top. On the other side place the coins first and then the blue jelly. The whole thing can also be decorated with sunbeds made from banknotes, or a boat with sails made from banknotes, Playmobil figures or a small treasure chest. Again, be careful: the gift can get very heavy!
Money gift: mice, toads, dough, playdough...
There are many names for money; these can be presented in a creative money gift.
What you’ll need:
- Tea box, preferably with a glass lid and 6 or 9 compartments (e.g., from Amazon
)
- Banknotes & coins
- Haribo mice, frogs
- Children's modelling clay (available in toy stores, stationery shops or Amazon
- Moss, from the forest or garden
- Coal (e.g. barbecue charcoal)
- Gravel or pebbles
- Cotton wool
- Paper blossoms (available in stationery or craft shops, or Amazon
- Paper
- pens
- Scissors
- Tixo
- Paper for lining the compartments
Instructions:
Depending on whether the tea box has 6 or 9 compartments, you will need more or fewer materials accordingly. You should also ensure that the tea box does not get dirty and can still be used afterwards. Now fill the individual compartments, here are a few ideas:
Playdough
Fill the compartment with some paper. Shape the modelling clay into long rolls if it is not already in that form. Fill the compartment with the modelling clay and instead of one roll of clay include a small roll of banknotes. Roll the banknote into a long roll and stick it together with a small Tixo roll. To make the compartment recognisable, write the word 'Modelling clay' nicely on a piece of paper and cut it out. To keep it from slipping, the label can also be fixed to the modelling clay with a Tixo roll.
Toads
Fill the compartment with some paper. Now put in coins or rolled-up notes and then fill with Haribo frogs. Write 'Toads' on a piece of paper and cut it out. Again, fix it to the compartment with a Tixo roll so it doesn't slip.
Charcoal
Line the compartment well with paper and put some pieces of coal in the compartment, also fill with coins or nicely folded banknotes. Write 'Coal' on a piece of paper and stick it into the compartment with a Tixo roll.
Flowers
Line another compartment with paper and fill with coins and nicely folded banknotes. Scatter pretty paper flowers on top. Label a paper strip with 'Blossoms' and attach it in the compartment with a Tixo roll.
Mice
Line a compartment with pretty paper. Put in coins and banknotes that are nicely folded and fill with Haribo mice. Write 'Mice' on a paper strip and fix it with a Tixo roll.
Gravel
Line the compartment well with paper. Put a banknote or coins on top and finish with gravel. Write 'Gravel' on a paper strip and stick it on with a Tixo roll.
Moss
Line the compartment in the tea box with paper, put folded banknotes and coins in and cover a little with moss. Write 'Moss' on a paper strip, attach a Tixo roll and fix it in the compartment.
Pebbles
Line a compartment in the tea box with paper, put coins or folded notes in and fill with some pebbles. Write 'Pebbles' on a paper strip and stick it with a Tixo roll into the compartment.
Flakes
Line a compartment in the tea box with paper, put the folded notes and/or coins in and fill with cotton wool balls. Write 'Flakes' on a paper strip and stick it into the compartment with a Tixo roll.
If you like, you can also decorate the tea box or write a text on the lid.
You can find more details on crafting a Mice-Toads-Coal box here: Money gift: mice, toads, coal, pebbles, ..
Suitcase full of money
If the newlyweds already have a specific travel destination after the wedding, you can give it with a lovingly decorated suitcase made from construction paper.
What you’ll need:
- Brown construction cardboard
- Banknotes
- optional: guidebook, flag of the destination, map of the destination country, etc.
Instructions:
Cut a suitcase out of brown construction paper and decorate it lavishly. Here you can fold hearts or even an airplane from the banknotes. If the couple's travel destination is already decided, you can decorate the suitcase with matching details: a map with the destination country, a guidebook, the flag of the country, etc.
Have you also made an original money gift yourself or have one or two ideas to share? I would be very happy to receive comments and photos of your creations.
Also read: Homemade flower box as a gift
Photos by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
