Christmas
DIY, Graduation, Party Crafts
How to Make a Graduation Money Lei 2 Easy Ways
With our oldest daughter’s High School graduation on the horizon, I set out to learn how to make a graduation money lei.
I had seen lots of very intricate and beautiful designs but I just didn’t have time for them. So I settled on a simple, fast, and easy way to make a graduation lei with money.
This post may contain affiliate links.
I actually ended up making 2 leis. One with a dollar store flower lei, and the other one with construction paper.
My daughter’s favorite ended up being the flower lei. It was less bulky and had more money in it.
But the advantage of the paper money lei was that I was able to use all the colors from the party. You could also use the school colors. In retrospect, I should have made it longer as it was just too bulky.
There she is at her graduation party. And yes, she was Valedictorian. I’m a very proud mama.
The instructions and video below show you how to make both the dollar store graduation money lei and the construction paper lei.
How to Make a Graduation Money Lei Step By Step Video
I hope you enjoy the video and please sign up to my YouTube channel by clicking here:How to Fold Dollar Bills to Make a Money Lei
The first step is the same in both leis. It’s also the way to fold your colored paper.
The only difference is that if you’re making the paper lei, don’t do the last step of taping one of the ends together. You’ll see why in the tutorial.
- Fold your dollar bills in half 3 times and crease the folds.
- Open your dollar bill and fold them accordion style on the creases.
- Fold your accordion in half.
- Tape one of the sides.
- Repeat the previous steps with all bills.
- Then place the open end of your fan between the string or spacers of your lei.
- Tape the ends together (not if making paper lei)
- Repeat with all your bills
Easy Money Lei with a Dollar Store Lei
How to make a money lei with a Dollar Store Lei
Ingredients
- 1 Flower Dollar Store Lei
- ~34 Dollar Bills
- Tape
Instructions
-
Count the spacers in your flower lei. That's how many bills you'll need.
-
Fold your dollar bills in half 3 times and crease the folds.
-
Open your dollar bill and fold accordion style on the creases.
-
Fold it in half.
-
Tape one of the edges together making a little fan.
-
Place the flat side of the fan on one of the spacers of your flower lei, open the fan around the spacer, and tape the sides together.
-
Repeat with all the spacers in your lei.
You’ll also love:
How to Make a Colored Paper Money Lei for Graduation
How to make a money lei with 2 colors of construction paper and dollar bills.
Ingredients
- 1 String or ribbon. Twice the length you want the lei's circumference to be. I'd recommend between 8 and 12 feet.
- 4-8 Pages of colored construction paper in the colors of your choice.
- 24+ Dollar bills (Depending on the length of your lei).
Instructions
-
Cut the construction paper the same size as a dollar bill. That's about 6"x2⅝". You will need an equal amount of paper and bills.
-
Fold all the bills and construction paper by folding them in half 3 times and creasing the folds.
-
Open the paper and fold accordion style on the creases.
-
Fold in half.
-
Fold your string in half and make a knot a couple of inches from the fold.
-
Place your first bill in between the 2 strings at the knot.
-
Fold the edges of the bill on one side over one string and tape it.
-
Fold the edges of the bill on the other side over the other string and tape it. Your bill should now be going through both strings.
-
Make a knot to secure it.
-
Alternate construction paper and bills to the desired length of your lei.
-
Tie the 2 ends of the strings together.
And to step up your party decoration game, check out these large balloon letters I made. They spelled out GRAD and looked amazing!
If you’re planning a party for your graduate, you may want to print out a bunch of these graduation wishes and advice cards or these fun mad-libs advice cards. It’s a great way for your kid to get some advice from (hopefully) wiser guests.
Struggling to find a good gift for your graduate? Consider giving them a coupon book full of things they will need, like a full tank of gas, or a home-cooked meal.
Don’t forget to pin these 2 ways to make a graduation money lei:
Picked for you:
Check out our Graduation printables
