Simplify your holiday season with these creative ways to give money and gift cards — a.k.a. the “perfect” gift for anyone on your holiday gift list.
When it comes to giving gifts, I’ve always been a minimalist of sorts.
I definitely do enjoy showing friends and family (and teachers, bus drivers, coaches, etc.) that we love, appreciate, and remember them on their birthdays, during the holiday season, and other special occasions throughout the year.
BUT… I have a hard time buying into all the consumerism (pun intended).
Plus, I really hate shopping!
Every year, I buy fewer and fewer gifts for birthdays and holidays — and instead, turn to the more practical gifts of cash (or check) and gift cards.
Contrary to what you might think, cash and gift card gifts CAN be very creative and personal… if you put in a bit of effort.
I’ve given fun and creative money and gift card gifts for years and years… and I’ve never once had anyone return my gift. 😅
Just think of the hours I’ve saved trying to think up (and shop for) clever or useful gifts. Plus, I never go over budget and I have more time and energy to focus on the aspects of the holidays I enjoy more (like holiday baking and hanging out at home with my family).
Are you tired of shopping or burned out on consumerism? Would you like to simplify your holiday gift-giving? Or do you just need a few creative ideas to supplement the gifts you’ve already purchased?
If so, keep reading for several creative ways to give money and gift cards!
1. Origami Money
This is, and always has been, my favorite of all creative ways to give cash gifts.
Origami is actually fairly simple if you can follow instructions… and it’s just so FUN!
After all, who wouldn’t be thrilled to receive a delicately folded bill as a beautiful gift — showing you actually put some time and thought into your cash gift?
Here’s an origami money gift we made for our piano teacher — so cute, and so simple!
Not sure how to do origami?
YouTube has you covered!
A simple search for “Origami Money” instantly pulls up dozens of video tutorials to help you fold your own creative money gift for any occasion.
Things like:
- T-Rex Dinosaurs
- Christmas Trees
- Cats
- Flowers
- Stockings
- Stars
- And so many more!
I’ve also seen money origami for sale on Etsy — but I’d suggest trying it yourself first!
Even giving $1 or $5 bills in this creative way is so fun for the recipient.
2. Money (or Gift Card) Trees
This creative money gift is great for all ages (it’s especially fun for graduation gifts!)
Simply put a leafless branch into a large container or vase (filled with floral foam or small pebbles to keep it standing upright). Then attach dollar bills or gift cards to the branch with twine, mini clothespins, ribbon, ornament hooks, etc. (use a tiny hole punch if necessary.)
OR, if you want to be more festive, try your hand at one of these cute Christmas Money Trees.
3. Frozen
The kids always love this one — and even though the idea is for “cold hard cash” it totally works for gift cards too!
NOTE: Put the money or gift cards in a zip-top bag to keep them from getting wet.
4. Inside a Balloon or Christmas Ornament
This is so fun for younger kids — and SO easy to do!
Just roll up the cash or slide the gift card into the balloons BEFORE you blow them up. Then blow them up (either with helium or regular air) and create a balloon bouquet or tape the balloons to a specific location (door frame, window sill, chair, etc.)
This is especially fun with the giant punching balloons (we’ve done this for our kids and they love it!)
Another option is to put the gift card or cash into a fillable ornament (maybe with a little glitter or fake snow) and you’ve got yourself a super cute, super practical gift for anyone on your Christmas list.
This is one of our favorite gift ideas for friends, cousins, and other kiddos.
5. Hidden Inside Another Gift (or Gag Gift!)
Dave and I have given our fair share of creative money gifts this way… and it never gets old (at least not for us!)
Some ideas of places to hide your cash or gift cards:
- Inside a book, magazine, newspaper, DVD, or CD case.
- Inside a wallet, purse, or bag.
- In the back pocket of a pair of pants.
- Inside a pair of shoes or socks
- Taped to the back of a picture frame or piece of wall art.
- Inside the pages of a calendar.
- On the back of a food or beverage wrapper/container.
- Taped to the bottom of a huge box or gift bag filled with packing peanuts.
- Wrapped around a bar of soap (or taped to the back).
You could hide the cash or gift cards inside actual gifts the person really wants, or (for a little extra fun) hide them inside gag gifts!
Of course, these ideas would be most fitting for someone you know could handle the joke.
Thrift stores are fantastic for these gifts.
For example:
- Hide the money or gift card inside a cat calendar for your sister who hates cats.
- Hide it in the pocket of an out-of-style pair of pants or overly worn pair of shoes for your mom.
- Buy your dad a political book (for the opposite political party) and slide the money or gift cards inside the pages.
- Tape money or gift cards to the back of art that is totally out of character for your best friend’s home.
- Rolled up dollar bills or gift cards inside a roll of garbage bags, Saran wrap, or toilet paper.
NOTE: The toilet paper idea would be especially fitting this year with the shortages! It does require a bit of patience, but it’s SO funny when they need to unroll all the garbage bags, Saran wrap, or toilet paper to get their gift!
Forget shopping, wrapping, online ordering, returning, and agonizing about the “perfect” gift for your friends and family this year… just swing through the bank or pick up a bunch of gift cards and use these creative ways to give money for your gifts this year!
Then use all your extra time to do whatever it is you enjoy most about this time of year!
Related Reading:
How I store and organize our gift cards.
More ideas for creative and clutter-free gifts:
I have dozens of posts dedicated to clutter-free gifts… these are a few of my favorites.
Now I’d love to know…
What are your favorite creative ways to give money or gift cards?
Augustus Giles says
Brilliant blog…
Calliope says
great ideas!! And very appropriate for my teenage son and nieces who def prefer money now!
In Greece Christmas is still not an overly consumeristic holiday rather 15 days full of family gatherings and more food that one can possibly digest. So only small children and grand parents receive gifts but not from everyone. Each year we decide who is going to give presents to whom so the expenses tend to remain low for each family. Of course each individual parent will buy something big or small to his children/partner. This year my 13 year old son will receive from us a Harry Poter board game and I bought books for all the kids and a couple of adults that do read. The others will get a small basket of cookies and traditional christmas mini desserts that my son and I will prepare.
As I get older and wiser 😀 I tend to gift/bring as travel souvenirs things that can be consumed (cheeses,wines,chocolates) or experienced (museum, theatre, movie tickets).
Andrea says
Thanks for these ideas — Greece sounds better and better every time I read a comment from you 🙂
Dave and I only do gifts for our young nieces and nephews and the kids’ grandparents — so we don’t buy that many gifts either.
And yes, the consumable or experience gifts are always a bit hit for our family!
JJ says
Wow, those are great ideas!!! I will definitely try some!!! When our first baby was born, my dad came to visit. He was so excited to meet the baby. We picked him up from the airport, and he insisted on paying us gas money. I absolutely wouldn’t take it. Haha! Well, after he left, I found money stuffed all over the place(back seat of our car, couch cushions). He said I couldn’t argue with him about it that way. Haha! It was definitely a fun surprise!!!
Andrea says
that’s such a fun story! So nice of your dad 🙂
Debbie says
Most of the time my nephew would only request a gift card from Game Stop. Forget about giving him sweaters or clothes because that’s really a gift for his mom/my sister and not him. When I can’t think of what to give close family members it ends up being a gift card. When I’m asked for what gift I want I also tend to say just gift cards because that’s the easiest and can minimize my cost on getting a higher price item I really want. I do shop throughout the year when there’s a sale so when I do buy an actual gift it’s usually a good price and not during the busiest time of the year. I also love wrapping presents and adding a personal touch to them. The downside is I have to ship them out. The gifts for family and friends in town are fun to give, seeing them react to how it’s wrapped and the gift inside.
Andrea says
haha — I ALWAYS got clothes for Christmas and birthdays growing up (and I hated it) so I vowed that I wouldn’t give clothes to my kids for gifts 🙂
In all honesty, I have given them shoes (like a special brand name I wouldn’t normally buy) or accessories… I’m sure your nephew appreciates the gift cards!
Jana says
Such great ideas here! Thanks! We have given our young adult sons monetary gifts for a few years now. However, they don’t actually want cash because they don’t use cash. 🙂 So, one year I found an image of a $50.00 bill and put their picture on the bill. I then printed it out and gave them there “own” fake money as the physical gift, and transferred the actual money into their accounts. It was fun to see their reaction when they realized their face was on the fake bills. 🙂
Andrea says
yes, kids don’t use money anymore! You’re so smart to put it right into their bank accounts instead!
Carrie says
I recently saw an idea using a mason jar, toilet paper roll, wrapping paper, candy and money. Cut the toilet paper roll to fill inside the jar ( if the jar is small). Wrap it with wrapping and insert in jar. Put the money inside the paper tube and fill the area between the tube and the jar with candy. Decorate the lid with a cloth covering and add ribbon. I thought this was a fun idea!
Andrea says
that’s a great idea — and I have TONS of mason jars!
Elizabeth Dilts says
I like giving gift cards at Christmas because there is usually a bonus deal and I can give beyond my budget to a recipient! Where do you find the best deals for your gift cards? Our Costco usually has some local restaurants for 25% off $100.
Andrea says
yes, we do this with some of the gift cards too. These days, I usually just buy from Meijer or Costco when they have deals (Meijer often has $5 off every $50 of gift cards).
Claudia Stewart says
Open umbrella and tie bills to prongs of the umbrella….fold umbrella back up. When they open the umbrella (make sure they know to do so) their money will be hanging from the underside of the umbrella.
Andrea says
This is an awesome idea that I might actually use this year!
Tina says
I took a hollow Easter bunny heat up a knife with a lighter and put slit in bottom. Stuck $50 bill in it and reseal it with low heat from stove. Do not use a lighter to reseal it will melt the entire bottom of the bunny. My son loved it.
Jackie says
My mom used to get fresh, crisp one dollars bills at the bank, then bring to a print shop for a cardboard backing and glue strip across the top (like a note pad). She’d then insert into a checkbook cover so the recipients could peel off bills one by one as they were spent.
Lisa Collin says
Take one dollar bills and tape them end-to-end so you have a long strip, then take the strip roll them up into a roll that’s about the size of a toilet tube. Next take a box with a lid and cut a slit in the top of the lid large enough for a bill to slip through. Place the roll in the box, then slide the end of the roll through the slit and tape down so it doesn’t slip back into the box. Tape the box shut. Wrap the entire thing.
It was so much fun watching my nephew pull this long strand ($20 worth) of money out of the box. Priceless!
Laura says
GREAT ideas, all of ’em!!
Another fun idea for both gift cards and cash/checks is to use significant numbers for the totals…since most stores can put a gift card in any denomination, you can get creative here and you don’t feel like the gift is impersonal. For example, if a kid’s birthday is on 12/17, you could give a gift card for $12.17. i have done this for housewarming gifts (a gift card to Home Depot in the total amount of their address, like if they live at 5183 Maple Ave, the gift card can be for $51.83)–that sort of thing. People appreciate the significance.
Deb says
My mil does this all the time, soo fun and since the youngest grandkid is 16, it is the PERFECT gift. She always goes to the bank and gets super crisp cash and then goes to work, she is the greatest.