Artful Ways to Give Cash

Cash is almost always a good gift. People can use it for anything. It can be for something they wanted but didn't get or maybe just pay some bills and get them out of a few jams :) However, some people think it is impersonal or unimaginative. There are ways to combat this and make your cash gift a thoughtful and memorable one.

My Mother always gave cash in creative and fun ways. Sometimes it was for an adult and sometimes it was for a kid, but regardless, she presented it with a flare! Here are some of the creative ways I remember, but I am sure you can think of a few things on your own as well!

PINE CONE:

For Christmas, my Mom would find (or buy) a big pine cone and wrap bills in tinfoil and then stick them inside the cone. It made it look very festive and you weren't sure what you were unwrapping. Sometimes it would be a dollar bill, sometimes it was a ten or a five. It was fun to figure out how much you ended up with!

UPS PACKAGE: My Mom did this for birthday gifts with the grand kids. She would take a hundred $1.00 bills, crunch them all up and and it put them in a padded envelope from UPS. The kids didn't know what it was, it was bigger than a card, it was squishy and when they opened it, it looked like a million dollars. They loved emptying it out on the floor and smoothing each bill out and carefully counting them.

NESTING DOLLS: I am not sure if you know what these are, but they are Russian in origin and are usually wooden dolls within dolls. Putting money in them, (have fun with how much in each!) is a fun way to surprise and delight throughout the unwrapping process. Plus, they get some cute nesting dolls!

I will add more ideas during occasions throughout the year, but these should get you started on thinking creatively. If you have any other ideas, please add to the comments! Get more gift ideas at www.greatgiftguides.com