Here's mine, I got the idea from someone here, few years back.

GS had smaller bills but you can see from the look on his face that his daddy hit the jackpot :o) DS needed it at that time in his life.

I like to put money in a small box, wrap it, then into a bigger and finally a GREAT BIG box - the kiddos love it!

Google Bilz Box. They are mazes/puzzles you have to work through in order for the box to open and get the money (or gift card or event tickets). The year we got them, they had a trivia game and if you missed even one, you had to start over and they didn't tell you which one you missed. There was much laughter and a few naughty words but lots of fun!

This year I bought glass Christmas ornament/trinket boxes. They're really pretty and reasonable, too.

One year I bought each a small picture frame and had Ben Franklin's picture showing in it.

It's challenging to find something new every year, but the kids love it.

I did this for the kids B'days but might work for younger kids at Christmas. A scavenger hunt. Hide the gift, then print out a series of clues. Give them the first clue, they have to go where it directs them only to find another clue and so on, the last clue will direct them to the actual gift, which is inside of a series of gift wrapped boxes.

Balloons are neat too! Helium ones of course!

What fun ideas, love them!

We usually give the kids some cash in their Christmas stockings. I like to come up with little ideas too. One year I wrapped $10 bills around a pencil. Another year, I ironed the money as tiny as I could! Another year I just put it all in a little box...they never knew how much they get until they got home and figure it out. We have a set amount, and it depends how much cash to what they get for gifts.

I will be watching this thread to find an idea for this year!

What great ideas! I don't have any to share, but I love your creativity!

My neighbor's grandaughter was getting married and she took money and taped it toegther. She wrapped it around a rolling pin with a sign on the outside that said "Keep Rolling In The Dough" I helped her make a sign in her wedding colors. It turned out so cute...

Then there is always the money flower...(or tree)

Use a tree branch with lots of small branches that you cut off to about one inch. Secure it in a pot of sand, then we fold bills in an accordian shape, tie in the middle with a pipe cleaner, or a samll ribbon, fan the bill out, and attach it to the branches.

One year I hung bills under an umbrella. You couldn't tell the money was there until you opened the umbrella. I gave it to my grandson. He opened the package and thanked me for the gift. I bet he thought I was really cheap that year. :0) I told him to open the umbrella and he was surprised to see all the bills hanging there.

My GS will only be unwrapping an oar.

Then later, we'll go to the lake for him to see his big surprise .

I forgot one year I gave all the big kids gift cards, I wanted to buy cheap wallets for them all and put the cards inside. It was a last minute gift idea and in my one horse town there were no cheap wallets. :(

I like the money ball here....

Here is a link that might be useful: ideas for giving money

My friend folds the bill into an origami shirt and tapes the "shirt" inside a card.I'm posting the website with the instructions.

Here is a link that might be useful: Origami shirt instructions

I made the origami shirt for my nephew one year. He loved it so much he didn't want to unfold it and spend the money, LOL.

My sister-in-law buys cheap wallets and puts gift cards from various stores in them for her kids.

Great ideas everyone! I have done some of those through the years too... the box in a box, scavenger hunt, the bill in a frame. My mom did the umbrella idea when DD was 3, she opened the umbrella and it 'rained' money!

Back around 1978 when I worked as a waitress, a customer gave me a origami ring he made out of a dollar bill. I still have it!

I like the balloon idea.. that could be super fun!

I have done something close to Glenda's idea. I wrapped a toilet paper roll in Christmas wrap and cut a slit in it. I then rolled money that had been taped end for end. I stuck it in the toilet paper roll and let a bill stick out. I then taped it to the bottom of a box. They just pulled and pulled. I mixed the bills up, so they came out in different denominations. I have also done the origami shirts and pants.

I got the idea here to tape the money end-to-end, and I'm going to use a toilet paper roll. Then I'm going to wrap it up so it looks like a Christmas cracker.

M y husband took 100 $1.00 bills and wrapped them around a styfoam ball. He taped each bill to the next one and wrapped them around the ball. Then he took an entire box of Reynolds wrap and wrapped it around the ball with the money on it Then he put the ball ina nice box andwrapped that. He told her it was a "century ball!

One year my mother put money in walnut shells. She cracked them open in such a way as to keep each half in tact, put the money in and then glued the shells together. She gave each kid a box containing 50 walnuts, some held cash, others held walnuts. It drove the kids crazy LOL

here are my money boxes...I did these a few years ago..

Last year we put money in a little tub and froze it in water...I put the ice cube in a glass of water and gave it to them while they were opening gifts...(money is washable...thank goodness) You know the saying...COLD..HARD...CASH!!

You can make Christmas trees out of money...just google origami Christmas money trees...

You can put some cash on top of fan blades...have the motor turned on high and flip that baby on and money starts floating down! My son's face was priceless seeing that!

I have folded and poked dollar bills into a styrofoam cone to make a "christmas tree". But we don't have dollar bills any more...just one dollar Loonie coins.

For those I have wrapped 50 individually in little boxes, which were packed into slightly larger boxes and into a giant box LOL. It ALL had to be unwrapped. Took a long time, and I laughed my arse off as the person grumbled (good naturedly though, we all thought it was fun).

Another time I wrapped my favourite sweater(that happened to be completely despised by the recipient) with money in the pocket. When she unwrapped the sweater and stared at it, I told her she commented on my sweater so much that she must LOVE it, and decided to give it to her! Even made her put it on for a picture. Bwa-ha-ha-haaa! She was too dumbfounded to say she didn't like it. Then I told her to put her hand in the pocket.

We all had a great laugh about that one too. Then I demanded my sweater back ;).

Dances.

Nodakgal, I did billfolds for the girls last year. Found them cheap in a catalog I get. I bought the guys those banks that automatically give you a total when you add change.

Dances, I bet the look on the recipient's face was priceless!

I like a lot of these ideas.Think i'll use the umbrella one for my 11 yr old GS.He's into all things Marine corps.2 years ago we bought him a complete camoflauge outfit,and put different pieces of it in different size boxes.This year he told me he needs an umbrella for the rainy days,so i was gonna buy a tan one and paint it camo,and now with this idea i can add money to it.Thanks ladies for all the ideas.
kathi