Carolyn J. Braden • 3 Minute Read
Since my niece and nephew were born, I always tried to gift them money in a creative way. I started by gifting my niece with a money origami butterfly when she lost a tooth right before coming to my house to spend the night.
Her grandma also got into the habit of gifting money creatively and most recently created an origami flower bouquet out of money and gave it to my niece for her 16th birthday. I loved it so much, that I decided to turn it into my own creation and teach others the project too. Read on to learn how to make a money origami plant or money bouquet.
Get all my other creative money origami tutorials in this article
See my project reveal in this fun super short video below:
I’ve seen money origami bouquets and money origami plants created in numerous ways. I was at Walmart recently and came across the cutest pink bubble planter. I had no idea what I could do with it until this project came across my mind.
I was originally going to use some jute rope covered terra cotta pots I made years ago for centerpieces, but this pink bubble planter was even cuter. It’s the Walmart line from the Better Homes & Gardens brand, and we have several of the brands home items and love them.
Other things we love from the BH & G brand:
Egg Chairs (Read about how they survived the Category 4/5 Hurricane Ian in my article here)
Get my cute money origami butterfly tutorial in this one minute video below or via my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:
This origami money plant would be the sweetest gift for Mother’s Day, a milestone birthday, a wedding gift or to brighten anyone’s day at any time. The planter is cute alone, then the recipient can use the money to buy a plant they really love. I love orchids and this would make a fab orchid planter!
Now, for the money origami plant or money bouquet project. It is actually really easy to create, looks amazing, and is a fun gift to give. Carolyn’s Blooming Creations is thrilled to teach you how to make this blooming creation and here are the step-by-step instructions.
Supplies You Need for a Money Origami Plant:
6-inch ceramic Bubble Planter (I got mine at Walmart but here’s a similar one on Amazon.com)
12 or 24 pack of ¼” x 5 or 6” inch Bamboo sticks or treat sticks or dowels or skewers (I got mine on Amazon.com but I also found them at Walmart in the baking section, you can use longer ones if making a money bouquet)
9” x 4” x 3” Floral Foam Block (I got my biodegradable foam on Amazon.com, but here is some similar foam on Walmart.com)
Green Spray Paint (I used Rust-Oleum Gloss Spray Paint in Meadow Green and got it on Walmart.com or a similar color on Amazon.com)
Preserved Spanish Moss in Natural (I got mine at Walmart, but here is a similar moss on Amazon.com)
Faux succulents picks, faux plants or faux or dried flowers (Get them at Walmart like I did or get them on Amazon)
Crisp money bills (for practice, I like to use faux origami money)
See me create this project in my 1-minute video below or via my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:
How to:
Spray paint the dowels IF you want to. Other projects have left them bare, as you may not see them once they are put in a planter or in a bouquet, but I wanted to spray mine just in case. I poked holes into an Amazon box, placed the dowels into the holes and sprayed on one coat of paint. I allowed it to dry overnight.
Set your foam block next to the planter and score it (I used a basic kitchen knife) to the height of the planter. Then use the kitchen knife to cut it to fit the planter.
Place the cut foam into the planter. If it is slightly taller than the planter, that’s okay.
Cover the foam with some of the moss. Set aside.
Fold your money in half, then fold down the left corner to the bottom of the money and repeat on the right side. It will be shaped like an open triangle.
Flip the triangle upside down and place a dowel in the center. Use removable tape to secure it to the money.
Roll in the left side of the money towards the center and roll in the right side. Place tape around the “bloom”.
Add extra removable tape around the money because in my testing, one piece did not hold overnight. If your house is a bit humid, the money could unravel if you don’t use enough removable tape.
Continue making the origami money “blooms”. I made 12 for this project but make as many as you want. You can bundle them up with some faux or dried flowers and then roll them with some paper or place them in a vase and give this as a money bouquet. If you want to make a money plant, continue reading.
To make a money plant, I stuck each money origami bloom through the moss and into the floral foam in the planter.
I stuck each one in one at a time until I had them arranged the way I wanted them.
Next, I added faux plants and faux succulents and faux ferns until the arrangement looked like a money adorned plant. Oh, if money only grew this way…lol!
Gift this to yourself, to a friend for a milestone birthday, for a recent graduate, for a wedding gift or Mother’s Day. I know I’d be thrilled if anyone ever gifted something like this to me (oh, it’s so, so creative!) and I know whomever you make this for will be thrilled too!
If you loved this article, we think you’ll love this one too: How to Make Tissue Paper Look Good In a Gift Bag
Carolyn J. (C.J.) Braden is the owner of Carolyn’s Blooming Creations is a regular contributor and editor for CBC. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.