Decorating Money Trees
Decorated money trees make a great gift for a special occasion. Money trees are homemade gifts that resemble trees or plants and have money attached to the leaves and branches. They are a versatile gift, appropriate for birthdays, graduations, weddings, new babies, housewarming, bridal showers, bar or bat mitzvahs and retirements. A money tree takes the gift of money to the next level by providing a creative way to give someone cash. Decorating the tree lets the recipient know that you put more time and thought into the gift than a quick ATM stop.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Potted plant or tree
- Ribbons, bows, streamers
- Pins
- Thin wire
- Cash bills
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1
Purchase the tree or plant. Most money "trees" are actually house plants or young trees. Decide if a potted plant or artificial plant is more appropriate. The size of the plant is up to you, though make sure you buy something that you can transport.
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2
Go to your bank or ATM to withdraw cash to include on your money tree. The amount of money is completely up to you, though make sure to get at least six or seven bills to add to the money tree, or more for larger plants. Otherwise, it will look too thin. For birthdays, you could give the same amount of money as the person's new age. Give a little more for events like weddings and religious holidays. Use cash as opposed to checks.
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3
Decorate the money tree with the cash. Choose from an accordion-style fold, rolled bill or straight and flat bill. You can use a combination of all three styles, or stick to just one style. Spread the bills evenly throughout the tree to create balance.
To fold the bills accordion-style, fold each bill several times horizontally, with about a centimeter in between each crease. Puncture the center of each bill with a thin wire and wrap the wire around the folded bill to keep the creases in tact. Fan the ends out to create a bow tie shape. Pin the center of the bill to the plants' branches or leaves, or tie to the plant with ribbon.
To attach rolled bills to the money tree, roll the bills into a cylinder shape and tie with string or ribbon in the center to keep the roll together. Use the same string or ribbon to attach the bills to the branches.
For straight notes, flatten the bills with your hand or on a table, and use pins to attach them to the branches or leaves.
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4
Put the finishing touches on the money tree. Use decorative stones or river rocks to line the soil or base of the plant. Fill in any gaps on the tree with ribbons or other decoration like dollar bill confetti. For a baby shower, add tiny toys, beads small baby bottles. For a wedding, add wedding colored bows and a couple pictures of the couple. For a bridal shower, use pink ribbons, heart-shaped candies and fresh flowers.
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5
Attach a card with a personal message and hang it from the tree. The tree can also be wrapped in a clear gift bag.
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Tips & Warnings
If the person is headed out of town for a while, such as a honeymoon, an artificial plant may be a better choice since the person will not be able to water the plant.
Smaller bills allow you to attach more money to the tree.
A money tree can be used for a fundraiser or raffle prize.
A money tree can be a gift from several people. Display a real or artificial tree in a location where guests can find it, and provide pins for attaching bills.
The plant itself can add a personal touch to the money tree. For example, a Christmas money tree Poinsettia makes an appropriate plant for the Christmas gift giving season.
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References
- Photo Credit money plant image by goce risteski from Fotolia.com
