5 Fun and Creative Ways To Give Money As A Gift

Image courtesy of Freepik. 

Money is one of the best gifts you can give to someone. It lets them have options. They can choose to do something serious with it or something practical, and they get to choose their own perfect gift. The one downside about a gift of money is that the presentation can be anticlimactic. When a traditional gift is given, it is usually wrapped up in decorative gift wrap, or in a nice gift bag. Money gifts on the other hand, can be handed over plainly, or through a simple app with no extra flair. But that doesn’t always have to be the case. 

You can give someone in your life money for a gift in a very creative way. Don’t just hand over a wad of cash, add something to that wad of cash to make a great gift a little more visual and exciting. There are many fun and creative ways to give out money as a gift, and we’ve got some of them listed below. If you want to surprise someone with money in a unique way, keep reading for some inspiration!

1. Money Cake

Rolls of money in the shape of a cake. 

You’ve heard of the birthday cake, but have you heard of the money cake? Rather than a tower of batter and frosting, a money cake is a towel or rolled up bills. And just like with a regular cake, you can make it one tier, two tier, or even three. You will need to roll up bills and stack them together in the best arrangement to form a cake made of money. 

And one great thing is that you don’t even have to do it by yourself. If you want a cake made of money, you can have someone make it and send it right to you. There are several small businesses that will build money cakes for you, so you can give a loved one money in an incredibly unique way. 

98Flowers will make you a three tier money cake with flowers on top. They offer different money cakes, each made simply and elegantly. Each cake is made up of 65 one dollar bills, and topped with roses or chocolates. The pink cake is topped with pink roses and wrapped in a pink bow, the red one is topped with red and yellow flowers, fall leaves, a golden ribbon and a pumpkin, and the black cake is topped with butterflies and Hershey kisses. Any option you go with will make this money gift unforgettable!

Now if you want a money cake that packs even more dollar bills, Cc Creations will make you a five tier money cake. Their cakes feature rolled up bills, straight bills, and folded ones that resemble flowers. They can contain 200 dollars in bills or more, and can be made with your choice of theme or color. All you need to do is provide some basic information to get the kind of money cake you want. Just give a name, the date, and the type of event, and someone in your life will be in for an amazing surprise!

2. Money In A Can

Pop open a can to a string of money. 

One creative way to give money as a gift is by putting it in a can. A can will catch someone off guard with an unexpected surprise inside. It is one of the last places someone will expect you to put money. A gift recipient can really be expecting anything when they are opening up a can you put money into. It will be an especially fun way to deliver money when you add decorations to it. The best way to give someone a can full of money is to make it yourself. Here are some examples for how to do it. 

To create a pop top can opener, you need to follow a couple of steps. You have to start off with a tin can, and one with a pop top lid. The more money you plan to put into the can, the bigger it should be. The first thing you will need to do is open up and empty out the can. Then peel off the label and work on creating your own. You will then fill it in with all the money you can and seal it back up for a big surprise. 

Here’s how It’s Always Autumn does it: 

• You will need to start by opening the pop top can of your choice from the bottom using a can opener. You will then pour all of the can’s contents into a different container and clean out the can as best as you can. Dry the can off and then tape dollar bills inside of it using removable tape. Tape all of the bills together, and then to make the can open up in a fun way, tape the top bill to the pop top. So when the gift recipient opens up the can, a string of money will come out with it!

Try My Humble Home and Garden’s method: 

• The first thing you will need to do is remove the label from the can. Lift it off and remove it completely with an exacto knife, and then remove the bottom of the can with a can opener. Then you will glue the label you want onto the can. This can be a label that you create yourself or print out. Apply tacky glue to the underside of the label and make sure it gets stuck on tight. You will then fill the can up with candy and money. The candy will add some weight to the can to further throw off the gift recipient. Roll the money into a tight wad and tie it into a ribbon. As a last step, you will glue the lid back into place, place another can on it overnight to let it set, and then you’ll be ready to give the can away. 

3. Suitcase Full of Money

A suitcase that fits a stack of money. 

A suitcase of money is an iconic image often seen on TV, and you can give someone in your life one as a gift just like an unscrupulous TV character with a debt to pay. Now you don’t have to find a large suitcase and fill it to the brim with thousands of dollars to pull this gift off. You can always get a really small suitcase, or fill the suitcase with multiple other treats that your loved one is likely to enjoy. You can stock the suitcase with absolutely anything you want to. Here are some ideas you might want to try. 

This lockable cash box from Amazon looks like a small suitcase, and can hold onto a large stack of money with no problem. And unlike a large sized suitcase, you don’t need a ton of money to fill it. A small stack or a large stack will be enough to make this lockable cash box feel full. And since it can lock, it will feel comfortable to transport and the person who receives the gift can continue to use it to store money or other important belongings. 

This cash box from Amazon will hold onto your money gift the way a cash register would. It is made of durable steel and has a handle for carrying. It is also lightweight and easy to carry, and the money will be held safely in place through any movement. It also comes with a lock and two keys so you can keep everything secure. There are cash slots and coin slots, so you can give both just to fill the slots. This cash register style gift will make receiving cash more fun than usual. This one comes in various colors so you can get your loved one their favorite color. 

4. Cash Flow Umbrella

A cash delivery system that will make it rain. 

You’ve likely heard of the phrase “make it rain,” and with an umbrella full of cash, you will get to make it rain yourself. Someone in your life will get a huge surprise when they open up an umbrella you give them as a gift, and automatically have a bunch of cash flow out. Now they will have an umbrella and however much cash you choose to give them. 

If you want to give a money umbrella as a gift, there are a few good examples you can follow online. 

• Sunburst Gifts has figured out how to make an umbrella full of money really fun. Attaching the money to the inside of the umbrella only takes a few supplies. You will need ribbons, tape, scissors, a ruler, and an umbrella that isn’t see through. All you need to do is cut the ribbons down to a decent length, tape them to the dollar bills, and tape the ribbon to the top of the inside of the umbrella. When someone opens it up, Ribbons of money will fall around them and stay strapped until they remove them.  

• Another option for giving away a money filled umbrella is to fill it to the brim with dollar bills, secure the bottom with a hair tie or a bow, and make sure the person you give it to opens it up in a safe location. Once they release the bow on the umbrella, money will fall to the floor. It will be a fun surprise that will even be fun to collect afterward. 

5. A Full Piggy Bank

A password protected cash box with a theme. 

We’ve all received a piggy bank as a kid and been excited to fill it up with change. Something you can do to put a twist on giving money, and giving a piggy bank, is to fill it up before you give it away! A kid will be excited to see a piggy bank, and even more excited when they realize it is full. This gift lets them skip the months of filling up the piggy bank to go straight to the opening part. They can even keep what’s in there, pile onto it, and open it up to an even bigger amount later on. 

Here are some fun options for a pre-filled piggy bank gift:

• Piggy banks don’t just have to be the typical pig with a slot, you can make things different with a whole different shape. This electronic piggy bank from Walmart is shaped like a dinosaur and comes with a password lock. A kid can get in with their own four digit code, and will want to play with it like a toy. It will even play rhymes and music!

• This ATM savings bank from Walmart is shaped like a safe at a bank, which will be really fun for kids. It is an electronic piggy bank that comes with a password code lock, so there will be no smashing when a kid wants to get their money out. They can easily withdraw your gift and then keep using the piggy bank to save more money over time. 

Giving money as a gift is something that can come off boring at times, but it really doesn’t have to be. While most people appreciate money as a gift, it can feel less exciting to receive than other gifts because of the presentation. Though with any of the ideas on this list, someone you give money to will appreciate the cash and really enjoy the delivery!