How to Make a Dollar Bill Tree

Dollar trees can be made to reflect the decor or theme of the occasion.

Money does grow on trees; well, more accurately, money can be clipped to trees. Whether it's for housewarming parties, wedding showers, baby showers or farewell parties, dollar-bill trees make good gifts, and they can be made to reflect the decor or theme of the party and, if a silk tree or plant is used, it can be used later as decoration.

Things You'll Need

• Silk tree or flowers or live plant
• Container
• Styrofoam
• Floral wire (optional)
• Wire cutters (optional)
• Floral (optional)
• Floral moss
• Wrapping paper
• Ribbon
• Paper clips
• Dollar bills

Instructions

1. Choose what you will use as the "base tree" for the dollar bill tree--a silk tree or a live plant in a container. You also can make the base tree out of silk flowers as long as they have large leaves.

2. Hold the silk flowers together, and adjust the position and height of the flowers until you like the arrangement. Wrap floral wire around the stems of the flowers to secure them and cover the wire with floral tape. If the stems are very long, loosely braid them together.

3. Cut the Styrofoam to fit the container; it will have to fit tightly and not slip.

4. Lay a large sheet of gift wrapping paper on a flat surface. Place another large sheet of paper on top, in the opposite direction, forming a cross. Place the plant container in the middle of the cross.

5. Slide your hands under the bottom layer of paper and lift both sheets around the container, smoothing it up the sides. Tie a length of ribbon around the top of the paper to secure it, then make a large bow and add it to the tied ribbon. Trim excess paper.

6. Stick the tree base into the Styrofoam, making sure it stands upright. If the hole in the Styrofoam is too large and the tree wobbles, put small wads of paper into the hole. Cover the top of the Styrofoam with floral moss, tucking it between the edge of the container and the Styrofoam.

7. Slip paper clips onto the silk leaves.

8. Add the dollar bills to the tree. You can fold them in a pleated, accordion-style or clip them unfolded.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use ordinary paper clips or buy decorative paper clips from a party store.