Are you scratching your head and wondering what to give that difficult person? Sometimes the solution is to settle on giving some money or a gift certificate. Money gifts can be unmemorable, but here are some ideas that will create memories that will last. Your dollar gifts can actually have sentimental value.

Money Shower

  • 6 to 8 yards of ribbon or string
  • 12 bills (can be just $1 or any denomination)
  • Removable tape
  • Umbrella (This could even be one that you have in the closet)

Cut the ribbon or yarn into 12 pieces of various lengths. With removable tape, attach the bills on the end of each piece of ribbon. Open the umbrella and tie the ribbons to the spokes. With the umbrella upside down, close it so the money is tucked inside. What a surprise when the umbrella is opened!

Cash Carnations

  • 12 bills
  • 12 (24”) lengths of florist wire
  • Craft leaves
  • Florist tape
  • Tissue paper
  • Long-stemmed rose box
  • Baby’s breath
  • Floral greens
  • Ribbon

Accordion pleat the bills in small folds. Fold a wire in halfway around the center of each bill. Wrap the wire with florist tape, adding one or two leaves as you wrap. Place tissue in the bottom of a long rose box. Lay the cash flowers in the box and add baby’s breath and floral greens. Tie the box with colorful ribbon.

Dough Dump Truck

  • Toy dump truck
  • Ribbon
  • 15 rolls of coins

Fill the dump truck with rolls of coins and trim with a ribbon.

Money Caterpillar

  • 7 to 8 rolls of coins
  • 1 piece (4” x 36”) green felt
  • 1 yard large yellow rickrack
  • Thread
  • 1 (3”) pom-pom (head)
  • 1 pair wiggly eyes
  • 1 small red pom-pom (nose)
  • 1 yellow pipe cleaner (antennae
  • 4 years yellow ribbon
  • Glue gun

Fold the felt in half lengthwise. Sandwich rickrack between the edges on the long side, allowing the rickrack to show. Stitch ¼” from the edge to make a casing for the coins. Stitch one end closed. Glue a 3” pom-pom head to the closed end. Glue the eyes and a red pom-pom nose to the 3” pom-pom. Bend pipe cleaners to make antennae and glue to the felt. Fill the felt casing with coins and tie a yellow bow between each roll and at the tail.

Treasure Hunt

Create a treasure hunt with the money in a pot that has been painted gold at the end of the journey. This can be as much fun for the person that creates the hunt as it is for the person who goes on the hunt. The note can also contain a message of appreciation for the person who is going on the hunt.

Create a Money Pot

I once knew a man who had a pot for all the change that he took out of his pockets. When a birthday came up or a Christmas present was needed for a child under 12, he simply let the child reach in and grab a handful of money as a present. It was so fun for the kids to see how much money they got from grandpa. It gave them an opportunity to separate the money and then count it once it was organized.

Test Your Own Creativity

Take a few minutes and see if you can come up with a gift that you can attach money to that fits the person that you are giving it to. One mother told me that she gave her son a new laundry bag with a few rolls of quarters so that he would be set for laundry when he went back to college. You may want to slip in a special book for the child to read while the laundry is in process.