How to Make a Palm Tree Out of a Dollar Bill

Dollar bills can be used for many small paper crafts.

Bank notes, such as dollar bills, can be made into numerous, small, decorative objects with the use of the ancient Japanese paper art of origami and scissor techniques. To avoid the wasteful use of dollar bills, it is always best to practice with scrap paper of the same size.

Things You'll Need

• Sharp scissors
• Clear tape
• Tweezers
• Sticky putty

Instructions

Construction

1. Tightly roll the dollar bill. Secure the roll with 1/2 inch of clear tape, placed near one end of the roll.

2. Take a small pair of sharp scissors with pointed blades and insert one of the blades into the center of the end of the roll farthest from the clear tape, cutting about 1 inch up the side of the roll. Make three or four more cuts around dollar bill roll. This will make the palm fronds.

3. Firmly hold the uncut end of the dollar bill with one hand and grasp the center of the cut end with the tweezers. Gently pull the paper with the tweezers in an upward motion for about an inch. This will display all the layers of cuts in the roll.

4. Fan the cut palm fronds out to display the miniature tree.

5. Stand the tree up, using a small piece of sticky putty to keep it from falling over.

Tips & Warnings

• Take your time cutting the bill and easing the fronds out with tweezers.

• Small, sharp scissors work best for this. Be sure to supervise children if they are working on this craft project.

Resources

• Sarah's Origami