Thursday, May 23, 2013

Creative Ca$h Projects

Money can be a fun gift for the recipient, but sometimes, it doesn't always feel quite so fun when giving it out!  So I have been looking for fun ways to give CA$H GIFTS!  

Recently, both of my nephews graduated.  One graduated from 8th grade and is entering high school and the older one just graduated from high school.  

For Christmas this year, I actually gave them both boxes of kleenex....filled with a roll of money I had taped up to come out when the first tissue was actually pulled.  They got a big kick out of that.  Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of those.  (I am now kicking myself for not getting any documentation from that projects).  And it certainly didn't last long once they discovered I did not just give them the cheapest and most ridiculous Christmas gift ever!  :)  There are quite a few of these projects found on Pinterest HERE.

So here is what I came up with for their graduation gifts.

For the 8th grader I rolled up single dollar bills to look like little diplomas and put them in a clear cellophane bag.  I also inserted the card I made for him as well (complete with personalized school colors).  I then added a topper to the bag to close it all up.  (I later personalized it a bit more by stamping his name on the topper in big, bold white letters).  



For my older nephew, I saw this idea floating around on the internet and went for it!  I knew if I succeeded in creating this "Money" Tie, that my nephew would be awesome enough to actually wear it....AND HE DID...to his graduation ceremony!!!

I think it turned out pretty great!  The only changes I would ever make...um...to have more cash and make it out of $50's and $100's!  LOL!  (I will continue to dream...as will all my nephews and nieces).  


Here is how I presented it to him.  I went out and got a dress shirt in his size and attached the tie to it.  I then added some colorful crumpled tissue paper to the bottom of a shirt box and placed it in there with his card.  I left a top off of it...I mean, come on, I wanted to get some "ooohhs and ahhhhs" from the other grad party attendees.  :)


Both of these projects are simple to put together.  All you need is some ca$h.  :)

1st project:
money
ribbon
- roll bills up as tightly as you can and tie with ribbon.

2nd project:
money (I used $35)
tie (for template) 
scotch tape

I just had my husband tie a tie as he normally would and then we loosened it up and took it off and I laid it out on some paper.  I then traced around it from the knot to the bottom of the tie and back up.  I cut that out and had my template to start taping money to it.  I just used regular scotch tape.  The front of the tie is what you need to concentrate on, but the back of the tie I just kind of covered it all up with the extra bills so you could not see the paper template anymore.  

Thanks for stopping by and letting me {PIN}spire you!