Calling of crafty or ingenious types...

[Flame]

For Christmas, my in-laws are giving the kids each $100.  (They usually send me money, and let me buy something for them, but this year I'm just giving them the money)  I wanted to do something different to give it to them, but can't think of what.  Her'es my idea so far...I'm going to give them a 50, a 20, two 10s, a 5 and five 1s.  I want to wrap or do something with each bill individually.     If it were easter, I'd put each bill in a plastic egg and put all the eggs in a box, so when they pulled out an egg and opened it, they wouldn't know denomination of bill they were getting, or how much, until they were all open.


So what can I do that is more Christmasy, but still along the same lines?

[BEG]

Put them inside cheap christmas balls (or decorate the clear or frosted ones that you can get at Hobby Lobby or Michael's and decorate them to the point that they can't see what is inside of them) and write their name on them.  Number them 1 - how ever many you have for each kid and make them find them in order on the Christmas tree.  The next part wont be so easy, they will have to smash the balls which will cause a mess.  You could have them do it outside in an area where no one would get hurt and sweep it up after, put it in a paper lunch bag and smash it or something.  Or perhaps you could think of a different way they could get the money out with out breaking the ball.  I don't know if this would work but maybe roll each bill very tightly and put a piece of tape that will come off with out ripping the money.  They could turn the ball over and shake it until the money fell out or use a small pair of needle nose pliers or something to get ahold of the money and pull it out.   

[Thor]

I'd tape each bill to a brick (or stick the bill in a hole if the brick has holes) and wrap the bricks.

[Chris_]

I'd tape each bill to a brick (or stick the bill in a hole if the brick has holes) and wrap the bricks.

And then hope they don't pick a fight with each other between now and Christmas.

[debk]

Get those little 3-4" velour Christmas stockings and put their names on each one with either one of the glitter pens or just glue and sprinkle glitter on it. Hang them on the tree Christmas Eve after they go to bed.

You could hit the Dollar Tree for them, and also pick up some Christmas candy to put in each stocking with the bill stuck down in the toe of it.

[Wineslob]

Do what I did with small-sized presents, wrap it in bigger and bigger boxes. I would actually wrap each box, sometimes 7-8 of them.

[thundley4]

Hm, I've given my nephews and niece cash many times and have made them work for it.

1. put cash inside a water proof container and set inside concrete.

2. put bills in separate envelopes stuck inside a full box of empty envelopes. (the security type sre best)

3. put money in a waterproof container, put in a box and fill the box with spray foam insulation.


one more that is always good. go to the bank and get all $1 coins.

[Lord Undies]

Buy a box of 24 Christmas cards.  Put a portion of the money in each card.  Mail one to each kid every day for 12 days. 

[jendf]

one more that is always good. go to the bank and get all $1 coins.

I was going to suggest $1 bills. For my high school graduation present, my parents gave me a new backpack filled with 500 $1 bills. They were all crumpled up like packing material. The backpack nearly exploded. I had a blast pulling out all the bills and counting them.

[Thor]

I do recall one Christmas past that I had bought a wonderful piece of jewelry for my wife. To keep her from guessing what was in the box, I had wrapped the jewelry box, place it inside another box with a brick and wrapped it. Then, THAT box was again placed inside another box, stuffed with towels and subsequently wrapped. Finally, that box went inside yet ANOTHER box and then wrapped. She didn't like it much when she opened it until she hit the actual present.

[bijou]

Why not make wallets out of Christmas paper?

http://www.origamitube.com/play.php?vid=105

[MrsSmith]

You could put the bills in ornaments...


http://www.shop.com/Porcelain_Santa_Ornament-81703237-p!.shtml


Or I'm going to fold bills up and put them in photo-frame ornaments, with the president's face showing.  I'm only giving one to each child, though, so will put a photo of the child under the bill, for hanging on their own tree.  (It's for nephews and other assorted kids.)

[DixieBelle]

I got $50 in quarters one year placed inside a gallon jug of maple syrup. Don't ask me why. It was so nasty!

I like the ornament idea.

[Chris]

I was going to suggest $1 bills. For my high school graduation present, my parents gave me a new backpack filled with 500 $1 bills. They were all crumpled up like packing material. The backpack nearly exploded. I had a blast pulling out all the bills and counting them.

That's cool.

One of my idiot neighbors abandoned a large, plastic Crayola crayon that has a piggy-bank type slit at the top.  I'm thinking of getting $50 worth of quarters and dumping them in their for my neice for Christmas.  Right now, it's MY piggy bank, but there's only like ten bucks in it. 

[Schadenfreude]

Give them a lesson in Obamononics.... Give them $25 and redistribute the rest to those less fortunate.   

I am sorry, that was really bad.

[Chris]

Give them a lesson in Obamononics.... Give them $25 and redistribute the rest to those less fortunate.   

I am sorry, that was really bad.

I like this approach...

[youtube=425,350]nFY0HBkUm8o[/youtube]

[Schadenfreude]

I like this approach...

[youtube=425,350]nFY0HBkUm8o[/youtube]

HA! We are derailing Flame's thread. 

[Flame]

Thanks for all the great ideas!

Since I need to do 27 individual "things", and I don't want to break the bank, I'm contemplating some type of oragami thing, or if I can find cheap Christmas balls. 

Still considering, so if anyone has any other great ideas, keep 'em coming!

[debk]

If you have a Dollar Tree....go check them out. I find lots of stuff there. Everything is a $1. They have lots of neat little stuff for packing up gifts. I saw some little boxes where there were 3 or 4 of them for a dollar and they were foil wrapped.

[lizard]

They make 'puzzles' that you have to solve to get to the money inside...some are cheap, some not so cheap...
for example

Green Bilz Box - Money Puzzle Game (25398)
Bilz Box is a rewarding puzzle game you give as a gift. Just slide in some cash, gift card or sports tickets and close the lid. To get the gift, the recipient must roll a ball through a challenging bi-level maze. Reusable, acrylic, 4 1/2 x 7 1/2".
LINK

[Happy Fun Ball]

Buy a bag of chocolate coins wrapped individially in those gold-like foil wrappers, and put a few of the new dollar coins in it.

[rich_t]

Fold the money so the denomination doesn't show, wrap the bills around candy canes, secure with a small rubber band and hang them on the Christmas tree.