When June comes around, parents are thinking of graduation and promotion. What better way to celebrate your child’s advancement than a money lei. A lei is a wreath or necklace usually made with flowers or leaves. In our case, this lei is made of dollar bills. There’s two versions of the dollar bill lei: an easy one and a hard one.The easy lei only uses 15 one-dollar bills. The hard lei uses about 50 one-dollar bills.
Money lei is not hard to make but you will need a ribbon, tape, and about 15 crisp dollar bills.
Instructions for Origami Money Lei ($15)
Step 1:
Start with a crisp dollar bill. |
Step 2:
Fold & unfold the sections so the dollar bill is divided into eighths. |
Step 3:
Turn over the dollar bill and fold & unfold each section so the dollar bill is divided into 16ths. |
Step 4:
Compress the pleated dollar bill. |
Step 5:
Compress the pleated dollar bill even further until it is a tight strip. |
Step 6:
Fold in half. |
Step 7:
Tape the two ends of the dollar bill together. |
Step 8:
Expand the pleated dollar bill so it forms a rosette. |
Step 9:
Tape the other two ends together to secure the rosette. |
Step 10:
Get a ribbon that is about 4 feet long. The actual length will depend on how long you want the lei to be. [Hint: A ribbon that is too long is better than a ribbon that is too short]. Tie the ribbon to a paperclip which will help with the next step. |
Step 11:
Thread the ribbon through the rosette: weave the ribbon up one slot and down the adjacent slot. |
Step 12:
Turn the rosette over and tie a double knot. |
Step 13:
Thread another rosette onto the ribbon. Arrange the second rosette so it overlaps the first rosette and tie a double knot to secure its location along the ribbon. |
Step 13:
Continue adding more rosettes. Be thoughtful about whether you want the green-side or the black-side of the rosette to be visible. |
 Add enough rosettes until it is long enough for a lei, about 15 to 20 rosettes is enough. Tie the ends of the ribbon together to make a necklace. |
 Nice! |
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