19+ Creative Birthday Money Gifts

A cash gift is always an easy way to please a teen family member, college students, or even that one person that is so hard to find the right gift for.

I know that every time I gave one of my young nephews a $5 bill and took them to the dollar store they seemed like they were in Heaven!

It took a regular Aunt hangout day and made it into a special occasion.

I just love coming up with cute ways to give even the smallest amounts of cash to little kids that I’d like to share some of these ideas with you! 

Here are a bunch of fun & creative ways you can use cold hard cash to surprise someone with money for their birthday gift.

Money Can Be A Great Gift (that doesn’t have to be boring!)

These creative money gift ideas are a great way to share your love and make someone feel special on their birthday.

I used to wonder Is it ok to give money as a gift?

I now know the answer is a resounding YES! 

Everyone loves receiving cash for their birthday (or Christmas or graduation for that matter!), and it’s especially cool when it’s delivered in a fun way. 

1. “Money is Trash!”

Creative ideas for giving money are not always pretty. Good thing they don’t need to be.

This trash can idea may not be beautiful, but it is cute and the little cans can be used as pencils holders or makeup brush organizers.

Or even as a desktop trashcan as they were initially intended to be used.

2. Money Candy

This cute candy decoration also doubles as a creative way to gift cash. They were empty and waiting to be used.

I put them to good use with this cute way. It will be a fun surprise for the gift recipient. 

The decorations are reusable so there is very little waste. 

3. Crappiest Gift

This idea is pretty funny.

Who would want a single roll of toilet paper for their birthday? Anyone who wants cash would.

I think this is a cute present and it can go to almost anyone.

4. Cupcake Candles

This is a one of the best money gift ideas for not only birthdays, but also would be great for a baby shower.

Cupcakes are on theme for nearly any celebration and the candles.

What’s better than a nut free, gluten free, calorie free cupcake? :=)

5. Money Wallet

This has been one of my go-to ways to give a gift of cash for the past few years.

It is simple, and takes no time to set up. Easy and fast gifts are a life saver when you’re strapped for time.

An adorable wallet and some cash go hand in hand. It’s like starting the piggy bank for a young kid. 

You can even do this for a boy with this wallet instead.

6. Survival Kit

A survival kit is a fun gift for a teenage boy or for someone that is going into the military. They make wonderful birthday presents for but they also make great care packages for college students. 

You can put anything into a survival kit along with the cash for emergencies.

Duct tape, a hammer, scissors, sewing kit, matches, bandages, Tylenol, baby wipes, multi-tool, paracord, etc…

The list is endless. I once put in a tool that has a seat belt cutter and glass breaker in a car survival kit gift box. 

7. Saran Wrap Ball

This is a fun game that I’ve played at a few different parties. It’s also fun idea for someone to unwrap on their own because it’s a hidden treasure around each turn.

To do this one, you simply need some clear wrap from the grocery store or this extra long roll with 2000 ft of wrap, some trinkets, hand written birthday messages, maybe some lottery tickets, cash and candy and a few minutes of time to wrap it all up into a giant ball!.

It’s one of the easiest gifts to make.

8. Money Gift Wrap

I like the irony of this way give a monetary gift to someone. Gift wrap that is money themed is a simple way to give some extra money to your friend or loved one.

For this one, I found wrapping paper that looked like cash and used it to wrap a small gift box that had cash inside of it. 

It’s adorable and fun, which is a great thing for gift giving. 

9. New idea coming soon!

Coming soon….

​

10. Vintage Piggy Bank

The next best thing to a money jar is a piggy bank.

If you have a younger family member, this is a thoughtful way to give some special money pieces.

I like to use 2 dollar bills and silver and gold dollars and fifty cent pieces to get their bank fund started.

It will be a cute keepsake they will have to pass down as they get older.

11. Money Gun

​I have never personally used a money gun…. But I want to so badly. 

I have only ever seen it used on tv, but it seems like a lot of fun to use. 

This will be so much fun for the person receiving it to use. Fill it with a bunch of one dollar bills and watch them have a blast using it.

12. Journal

A journal is a thoughtful gift to give someone. Tuck in a little bit of money inside of the pages for a nice surprise.

Even if they don’t see it immediately, when they find it they will smile. 

This is the perfect gift to give a young teen or an artist in the family. 

13. “Extra” Cash

A themed gift is definitely cheesy but I love them anyway. They are so much fun to do and you’ll get a good groan laugh out of it.

They won’t be faking their happiness at receiving money though.

Grab a pack from the store or order a multipack online to get started on this fun gift. 

14. Box of Cash

What is better than a box of chocolates?

A box full of money!

I don’t imagine anyone would rather have the chocolates instead, but maybe throw a few in there to make it an even sweeter present. 

15. Get Well Soon

A care package with items they will need when they’re sick is not only a good idea, but it’s also a clever way to hide some cash inside a tissue box.

This is a great idea for a care package gift. Add in some herbal tea, a hot water bottle and a few bars of chocolate to cover your bases. Some lavender Epsom salt or bath bombs are some well received items as well. 

I have given Vicks vapor rub and peppermint sticks as well in the past and was told they were used up immediately. 

Sprinkle in the cash as a fun extra bonus and they should be feeling better in no time. 

16. Money Notepad

A money notepad is not difficult to make.

It was a fun way to do some crafting and the end result was so much better than I imagined it would be.

I have an entire tutorial on the process of making the notepad of dollar bills complete with links to all the supplies you’ll need to create one yourself >> Money Notepad Tutorial

17. Money Tree

This little craft was a unique way to gift money and was a creative outlet for me in the process.

It felt like being a kid at camp again!

Tutorial Coming Soon! >> How to Make a Money Tree

18. Money Pizza

Pizza is a beloved food by teens and college students everywhere.

Making a pizza themed gift of money is a great way to present it to them at their birthday party.

The pic below shows the money pizza in progress.

Click here to get the full tutorial >> How to Create a Money Pizza 

19. Emergency Kit

When you have a new driver or family member that is leaving home for the first time, an emergency kit is a must have.

Adding some real money into the kit will make it even better! 

I like to add a base of money to the bottom of the kit and then layer on some emergency supplies like:

• bandages
• Ace wrap
• cloth tape
• antibacterial spray
• hand sanitizer
• mini scissors
• safety pins
• gauze
• gloves
• tweezers

What’s A Good Amount Of Money For A Birthday Gift?

This is a question I get quite often. How much should one put into a present like this?

I often wonder what the average cash amount is for different ages. For example, is $50 too much for a 3 year old but is it too little for a 13 year old? Does the amount really matter?

I like to calculate how much the item the money comes inside of in the equation for how much money to gift.

Let’s take the wallet filled with cash and think it through. If I spend money on a cute wallet, I will not put as much cash inside as I would the plastic wrap ball. The plastic wrap was maybe $2 or $3 to purchase, but wallets can get expensive. The wallet is the gift as much as the money is. 

Have you ever asked How much money is too much to give as a gift? Is $100 too much money? Is $200a lot for a birthday gift?

Nope, never once… Me neither! There is no formula to any of it. You give what you want to give. If you feel $10 is appropriate, go for it.

I have always heard that $25 is considered a safe amount to give most people for a birthday gift. It’s a good average number. 

For 13 Unique Charcuterie Board Ideas For A Birthday Party check out this article!

For More Ways to Gift Money Check Out These From WhatMommyDoes

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