Creative Ways to Give Cash for Graduation

⓵ Graduation Cap

This is such a fun and creative way to give cash and celebrate the grad student at the same time. To make a graduation cap all you need is some cardboard, glue and of course the money notes. First cut a square out just big enough to hang over the sides of the grads head. Cut about strip wide enough to go around their forehead, glue the edges together and then fold the notes around your cardboard model for the forehead to cover it. Then make some yarn and make some tassels and glue it to the square part of the cap.

⓶ Graduation Diploma Surprise box

This is a quick and easy way to give cash to a graduate. Take a gift box of some sort or make your own, roll up some cash bills of your choice, tie them with a beautiful ribbon (red, yellow or blue are good colors). Take all cash diplomas and place them inside the gift box. For a little more creativity, you can turn the lid of the gift box into a graduation cap, by painting it black and then glue a tassel on top of the box.

For another idea, you can use the same concept as above but instead of using a gift box, you can use a glass jar and then decorate it according to your graduation theme.

If you are looking to give both the graduation cap and diploma as a complete set, you can do this by creating cash origami graduation cap and a diploma in a smaller form. All you need to do is fold the bills to form in such a way to form the cap and roll up a couple of bills together, tie it with a ribbon and you will have a set.

⓷ Money Cake

A favorite for many is to surprise their graduate with a money cake. Although it does take some time to make, it is well worth the look on their faces. This money cake can be made in many different ways, but the easiest one I found was to make a tower of four layers each in a circle and each layer smaller than last.

You will basically create the cake out of cardboard, then roll up the bills for each layer and place them on the outside of each layer by sticking them with some double-sided tape and placing a ribbon around each layer to help secure the notes and to make it look good.

Then for final touches, you can create a graduation cap and place it on top of the final layer, add a message card to each layer and maybe a photo of your graduate. Then all you have to do is wait to see their reaction to their wonderful surprise.

⓸ A Graduation Necklace

This creative way to give cash as a graduation gift is super easy and it takes you back to when you were really young and learned how to make a chain from a paper by using loops. Instead of using any old paper, you will use bills and is done by folding the bills in thirds, fold it over to create a loop, put one loop inside the next. Close each loop with one staple and keep going until you have made the chain as long as you would like or have used all the bills. 

For the final touch create a medallion of your choice, make two loops of the same color paper or soft cardboard as your medallion and place them on either end. Bring the two ends together by stapling the medallion onto the paper links. The graduate will wear it with pride during their entire graduation party.

⓹ A Graduation Bracelet

Folding bills into a bracelet is a unique way to give a graduate a cash gift. There are many different ways to make a bracelet with one way being to make it by using loops and another way that is more complicated is to fold the bills into each other that form a crown looking type bracelet that can be found on many different websites about origami.

⓺ A Graduation Banner

This is a simple but creative way to give cash as a graduation gift, especially if you know that the grad student is having a graduation party at home. For this idea make a “Congrat Grad” banner from cardboard and stick bills on the back of the banner using double-sided tape or prestix.

⓻ Graduation Money Frame

Choose a great design for a message you want to send the graduate, attach the notes to the pages and put them inside a beautiful picture frame. With this one, they will get a small gift and some cash that could maybe be used in an emergency if needed.

⓼ Graduation Money pad or booklet

For the money pad or booklet, pile all the notes on top of each other, cut out two pieces from cardboard the same size as the notes, one for the backing and one for the front to make a money pad. Attach the two sides to the top and the bottom of the notes and decorate the front piece however you wish to. 

⓽ Flowers for the graduate

For this amazing creative way of giving someone money for graduation is to make a vase with flowers. Each flower is made out of five one-dollar bills or higher if you want. To do this you can fold each bill to form a petal of a flower by folding each corner in towards each other and again in the middle the tie them with a thin ribbon to keep them in place. Once you have enough flowers made you can place them into a vase.

A graduation jar or bottle filled with change

Another interesting and creative way to give cash as a gift would be to take a jar or bottle and fill it up with change. Add a cute and thoughtful tag or card which will put a smile on your graduate’s face.

Some more creative ideas that include a small gift

• Purchase a new purse, wallet or money clip and place the cash inside
• Purchase a great motivational book and place the bills you want to give inside
• Give a nicely designed keepsake box with money folded neatly inside
• Purchase a photo album as a gift but one with individual photo sleeves in. In the first page or two, place an inspirational note and then in the rest of the sleeves place each bill that you want to give the graduate in their own sleeve.
• You can purchase a stunning pen set which can be used either for college or a new job. They usually arrive in a beautifully designed box where you can place some bills inside with the pens.
• For even more amazing ideas, you can have a look at Creative ways to give money for Christmas present.

Giving cash as a gift to a graduate is the most popular as well as the best gift that you can give them as cash can help them in many ways in the next step of their journey. You don’t want to be boring in the way you give them their cash gift because there are many creative ways to give money for graduation.