Money Origami Flowers
Sometimes giving a cash gift feels impersonal. Turn a few bills into a flower for something more personal.
This money origami flower is based on a traditional Japanese paper model called a kusudama. It has five petals made from dollar bills.
Use crisp bills for this project. Wrinkled bills won’t fold as easily.
Also Read: How to make gum wrapper hearts
Getting Started
Money origami, or monigami, is an art form that uses paper bills to fold into shapes like boxes and flowers. This fun craft makes a great gift or activity to do at home, and it’s a perfect way to give a small present with a lot of personal flair. You can use any denomination of money, but it’s best to stick with crisp bills that have no creases or wrinkles. If you need to, iron them or spray them with a little Aleene’s Stiffen Quik.
There are many different variations of money origami flowers, and the number of bills you use can change the size of the flower and its petals. The more bills you use, the bigger the flower will be, but the more time it takes to make. One of the most popular money origami flowers is a rose, which can be made with just three bills. This version is simple to make, and the flowers look just as beautiful as a real rose.
You can also try making a modular flower that has six or more petals. This variation of the traditional flower design is easy to do, but it may take a little longer than the rose version. To make the modular flower, start by folding and unfolding a dollar bill lengthwise. Then, fold and unfold the ends so that they point toward each other, creating points at each end of the bill. This will be your first petal.
For a more complicated, but beautiful, version of the money origami flower, you can try making a kusudama. This is a special type of origami model that’s often used to create a sphere of individual flowers, and it’s a popular gift item. To make a kusudama, you’ll need at least three dollars in the same denomination.
Another cool way to show off your skills with money origami is to make a Hawaiian money lei. This is a perfect graduation gift or just a fun way to show someone how much you care. To make a Hawaiian money lei, you’ll need a few bills in the same denomination, and a twist tie or wire to keep them together.
Folding the Bills
Money origami flowers are a great way to show someone that you care. They can also be used to make a creative bouquet for Mother’s Day or any other occasion.
If you’re planning on giving one of these flowers as a gift, then you’ll want to start by getting a few crisp dollar bills. Wrinkled bills won’t hold their shape as well and will be more difficult to fold into petals for your flower.
When you’re ready to get started, fold the first bill so that the President’s face is facing up. Next, valley fold the right and left edges of the bill to the quarter mark and then fold in half vertically. Repeat the process with the other two bills that you have and then you’ll be ready to assemble your flower.
To make the petals, use the two diagonal lines that run through the center of each bill to guide you. Keeping these creases in mind, fold each piece of money into a paper square. Make sure that you’re folding the bill along these creases so that it looks like this:
Once you have your petals, stack them together and then bind them with a twist tie or some other type of wire. Using this method, you’ll end up with a flower that has six individual petals. You can then either tuck the flower inside of a larger vase or simply hang it up as an artful decoration.
Another way to make a flower out of dollar bills is to use five petals instead of six. This is similar to how traditional origami kusudama flowers are made and will still give you a unique money origami flower that will impress the recipient of your gift.
If you’re looking for an even more creative way to present your flowers, then try tying them into a bouquet. You can also add them to a money leis for a fun and playful gift. Whatever you choose to do with your flowers, they’re bound to be a hit!
Joining the Petals
Origami, from the Japanese words ori (folding) and kami (paper), is a form of art that transforms paper into objects such as boxes, envelopes and even animals and flowers. These origami flowers are easy to make, and they’re a great activity for children, teens and adults alike. These money origami flowers would be a fun addition to any Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day gift and they last much longer than a real flower bouquet. They can also be used to decorate the home or office.
The first step is to find three crisp dollar bills. They can be of different denominations and they can be in the same or different colors. They should be clean, with as little creases and wrinkles as possible. Wrinkled bills won’t look as nice and will be harder to join together for the kusudama flower. If you’re having trouble finding crisp bills, you can iron them or spray them with Aleene’s Stiffen Quik to help them keep their shape.
Next, fold the left and right sides of each bill up to the center creases. Repeat with the other two bills to create five identically folded pieces. They are now called petal bases and will be joined to make the flower.
If you’d like, you can add a bead to the center of each petal base. You can also use a string or piece of wire to tie the petal bases together to make one flower. If you’re using a wire, wrap it around the centers of the petal bases and twist it tightly to secure it.
Once you have all the petals made, they are ready to be assembled. The bud will be the top of the flower. To make it, slide a piece of floral wire through the middle crease of the bud dollar bill and gently bend it upward.
Continue this process for the other four petals, adjusting their fullness as you go. When you’re finished, the result will be a beautiful flower that will brighten up any room. These money origami flowers are a wonderful way to show someone how much you love them and they’re also a great gift for birthdays, graduations or any other special occasion.
Finishing Up
Money origami, also known as money-gami, is a fun and creative way to make use of paper currency. It involves shaping paper bills, like Indian rupees or United States dollars, into pieces of art that can be used as a joke gift or simply displayed as a unique decorative item.
To create a flower, start by finding three crisp dollar bills that you want to use. It’s best to use bills that have been recently minted or printed, so they still hold their shape well. Wrinkled bills don’t look as nice and will be harder to join together for the finished flower. Ironing the bills with low heat or spraying them with a bit of Aleene’s Stiffen Quik will help improve their ability to fold neatly.
The main challenge in folding a money origami flower is that it’s frowned upon to deface U.S. currency, so you can’t glue the petals of the flower together as you would with a traditional origami kusudama. Instead, you need to paper clip the individual bills together, but this also makes it much easier to give away or spend the money as needed.
